CHICAGO – (RealEstateRama) — Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), praised new measures released by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)this week that will ensure better performance standards for non-motorized modes of transportation. These measures will establish new safety standards to better protect pedestrians and cyclists that states can use to lower fatalities and reach important safety goals.
“As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, improving bike and pedestrian safety around the country has been a top priority of mine,” said Rep. Quigley. “While the number of motorists killed on our nation’s roads has fallen in recent years thanks to motorized safety performance standards, the number of bicyclist and pedestrian deaths is on the rise. Last year, 17 percent of Illinois traffic fatalities were cyclists and pedestrians, which is simply unacceptable. The FHWA’s new standards are a much needed step in keeping our pedestrians and bicyclists out of harm’s way, and I look forward to continuing my work to improve the safety of all transportation modes.”
Rep. Quigley has been instrumental in the fight to secure performance standards for non-motorized modes of transportation. He successfully included language in the FY15 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee report calling on the FHWA to create new performance safety measures for bike and pedestrian traffic to be used by states to track and reduce injuries and fatalities. He also led the fight against changes to the bill that would prevent funding for public transit, bike and pedestrian projects.
“As more and more Americans bike and walk to work, school, and on local trips in their communities, it’s important that our transportation system is built with their safety in mind,” said Alex Doty, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists. “The new safety performance measure does a good job of balancing the safety of everyone – motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.”
“A performance measure affects funding priorities. The fraction of traffic deaths from walkers and bicycle riders has been growing without a measure focused on their safety,”said Ed Barsotti, Chief Programs Officer for Ride Illinois. “Now with one in place, statewide education and enforcement campaigns can help stop this trend. Many thanks to Congressman Quigley for his leadership on this issue.”
The new non-motorized performance measures by the FHWA include five areas that will help states measure and increase safety: number of fatalities, fatality rate per vehicle miles traveled, number of serious injuries, serious injury rate per vehicle miles traveled, and the number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized crashes. Each state must set a goal for each measure for the upcoming fiscal year and will be judged on a five year rolling average. In order to meet and maintain their goal, states will need to reach four out of the five goals. States who fail to meet required goals will face limitations on their use of Highway Safety Improvement Program funds and be required to write a new plan on how to improve their standards.
Supporters of the non-motorized performance measure include: Landscape Architecture Bureau; Smart Growth America; National Center for Safe Routes to School; Transportation for America; American Traffic Safety Services Association; the AARP; and the American Heart Association along with 15 U.S. Senators and 77 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
As a member of the Congressional Bike Caucus and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), Rep. Quigley has pushed for a long-term surface transportation bill and prioritized Chicago-area infrastructure investments. Rep. Quigley has used his “Mike on the Move” initiative to highlight investments in Chicago’s 2.7 mile, multi-use recreational 606 Trail along the elevated Bloomingdale Rail Line and takes tours of ongoing bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Rep. Quigley is also a cosponsor of the Safe Streets Act (H.R. 2468), which directs state and regional planners to consider better design of sidewalks, intersections, bicycle lanes and other features to improve safety. He has helped secure $35 million in Core Capacity grants to benefit CTA, $61 million for projects to ease flooding in Cook County, and increased funding for the TIGER grant program to benefit both highways and pedestrian projects.
