5% For Feet

<p><i>Make it safe to walk and bike in Oregon!</i></p><p><b>The History:  A Legacy of Leadership</b><br /><br />In 1971, Oregon legislators and Governor Tom McCall approved the pioneering Oregon Bicycle Bill, which sets aside one percent of state road funds for walking and biking facilities, like sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Thanks to their visionary leadership, many Oregon cities have led the effort to “complete our streets” by making them safe for walking and bicycling, and Oregonians have responded. In the past few years, more and more have been choosing these healthy, economical, and environmentally sustainable modes of transportation.<br /><br /><b>The Challenge: Make It Safe</b><br /><br />Despite the progress we’ve made, we need to do much more to make walking and biking safe for Oregonians. People walking and bicycling are still disproportionately likely to be injured or killed. Five percent of Oregonians walk or bike to work, but pedestrians and bicyclists account for 14.3% of all those killed on our roads. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, fully sixty percent of Oregonians are interested in bicycling, but feel it’s too unsafe to bike in their area! Many places in Oregon still lack safe sidewalks and bike lanes.<br /><b><br />Our Agenda: 5% for Feet</b><br /><br />Unstable gas prices, global warming, and rising obesity make safe walking and biking more important than ever. Almost forty years have passed since the Bicycle Bill. It’s time for bold action in the spirit of the pioneering Governor and Legislature that first passed it. We call on Governor Kulongoski and the Legislature to strengthen the bill by reserving not one, but five percent of metropolitan areas’ transportation funds for walking and biking facilities.<br /> Already, more than five percent of Oregonians walk and bike to work. Putting money to safe foot-powered transportation is the best investment Oregon can make. It will improve our health, at a time when one-quarter of Oregon kids are overweight or obese. It will protect our planet, when over one-third of Oregon’s global warming pollution comes from transportation. It will also keep more of Oregonians’ money with Oregonians, and within the state’s economy, by providing us with real choices in how we get around. Giving five percent for foot-powered transportation benefits all Oregonians.</p>