It doesn’t take long to find someone traveling on two wheels in Davis, CA. Urban legend has it that this sleepy college town in Northern California has more bikes than people.
Davis is also home to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame where Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson announced new federal bike safety legislation Wednesday.
“The American Bikes Act is pretty landmark,” Thompson said. “It's designed to bolster cyclist safety nationwide to get more Americans out on bikes and to bring bicycle manufacturing back to the United States of America.”
The bill would end tariffs on bicycle parts made abroad to encourage domestic production. It would also expand access to federal funding for local governments to pursue infrastructure projects to prevent roadway fatalities, including protected bike lanes.
“In many communities people on bikes have not been considered legitimate users of the road system,” said Kendra Ramsey, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition which supports the effort.
Thompson’s legislative push to expand funding for bike safety comes as the Trump administration does the opposite.
Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced his department would end support for “DEI bike lanes.” He said he would redirect $1.73 billion in federal funds from Biden-era transportation infrastructure projects.
“Now this funding is officially locked in to fix America’s actual backbone: ROADS, BRIDGES, AND SHIPPING PORTS,” Duffy wrote in a post on X.
The Federal Highway Administration removed speed cameras and bike lanes from a list of safety measures to prevent roadway accidents. The FHWA also scrubbed its website of any references to bike lanes.
“There's not a lot of appreciation for the importance of cycling found in this current Transportation Department or this current administration,” Thompson said. “So, it is important that we pass this legislation.”
Thompson says he expects the bill to get pushback in Congress.