Bike Advocates Celebrate

IMBA Trail News
Volume 11, Number 3
July-August 1998

With the passage of TEA-21 and its unprecedented funding for bicycling, it was time to celebrate. IMBA board member Linda DuPriest and Minnesota rep Gary Sjoquist joined key players in the bicycle industry and nine members of Congress on June 24 to party it up in Washington, DC.

"I'm really happy! TEA-21 means an increase of 75% in funding for trails." said DuPriest, a member of the Bikes Belong steering committee that led the effort to produce a bike-friendly transportation act. "All in all TEA-21 was a huge success."

The attendance at the party of members of Congress, including both Senate and House Transportation Committees chairs, shows that bikes have arrived on Capitol Hill, DuPriest said.

The highlight of the night was an awards ceremony. DuPriest and John Burke, president of Trek Corporation, handed out placques in the form of bicycle cranks and chainrings mounted to slabs of granite.

It was back to work for DuPriest on Thursday. A summit meeting was convened to develop a strategy for bicycling advocacy to implement TEA-21. Priorities will be to strengthen bike advocacy groups and create and approve state and local programs. The strategy will be presented at the upcoming Interbike in Las Vegas in September.

-- Joshua Parris