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News Archive
Planet Bike Supports Advocates at National Bike Summit on May 02, 2007
Madison, Wis. --May 2, 2007 Planet Bike put its
support behind the efforts of bicycle advocates as they descended upon Washington, D.C.
for the National Bike Summit from March 14-16.
This year, Planet Bike was a leading sponsor of the National
Bike Summit which brings together bicycle industry leaders, bike advocates, enthusiasts,
and politicians to further propel bicycling into the political consciousness of
the nation and advance the interests of bicyclists across the country. Planet Bike also provided complimentary
car-free pedi-cab rides to Summit
participants between Senate and House offices on Capitol Hill.
Planet Bike's own Jay Ferm organized the Wisconsin
delegation as they met with Senators Kohl and Feingold and other congress
people from the state. John Burke of
Trek, Jeff Frehner of Pacific Cycle, Chris Fortune of Saris and Chris Kegel of
Wheel and Sprocket were also active members of the delegation whose purpose it was
to convince elected officials of the importance of weaving the bike into the
fabric of our society to create healthier, safer, less car-dependent and more
vital communities.
Each year the League of American Bicyclists organizes the
National Bike Summit in Washington,
D.C. so that bike proponents can dialogue
with elected officials about the importance of bicycle related issues. This year more than 430 leaders from the
world of cycling made the voice of bicycling heard on Capitol Hill.
Among other things, participants lobbied for the Bicycle
Commuter Act which proposes a tax break to employers who encourage employees to
commute by bike. If passed, this would give individuals greater
financial incentive to commute by bike by helping them to defray expenses for things
like the purchase of a helmet, regular bike tune-ups, gear for year-round pedaling
and other expenses associated with bicycle commuting. The other important lobbying effort was to
secure funding for the Conserve By Bicycling program. This is a program to establish ten test
programs and study the resultant health, environmental, and economic benefits when
individuals use their bikes to replace car trips.
