Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
2009 Transportation Bill

In Surprise Appearance, Ray LaHood Caps Off National Bike Summit

Ray_LaHood.jpgPhoto: Jeffrey Martin, courtesy of the League of American Bicyclists

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made a surprise visit to the closing reception of the National Bike Summit last night, speaking to a record crowd of bicycle advocates and industry representatives, many of whom spent the day swarming the halls of the Capitol as part of the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) annual lobby day.

"People get it. People want to live in livable communities," LaHood told the crowd, after hoisting himself atop a table in the Dirksen Senate Office Building room so the large gathering could see him. "People want
streetcars that are made in Portland, Oregon. People want walking
paths, biking paths, and opportunities for families to really do the
things they do best, which is to hang together and have fun. You
all created an opportunity for America with all of your hard work."

"I’ve been all over America, and where I’ve been in America I’ve been
very proud to talk about the fact that people do want alternatives.
They want out of their cars, they want out of congestion, they want to
live in livable neighborhoods and livable communities." He added, to thunderous applause, "you've got a partner in Ray LaHood."

"Ray, we've got your back," said Congressman Earl Blumenaur, the founder of the Congressional Bike Caucus, who told attendees that they have made a difference but there are "a lot of people who don't get the big picture yet."

The reception ended the league's 10th annual summit, which saw a record number of attendees: more than 700 advocates from all over the country took part.

"From my perspective what has changed most dramatically is not just the
numbers over the years, but our own belief in the
ability we have to convince others this stuff actually works," said Andy Clarke, President of the LAB. "We've got
examples in the field now in San Francisco, in Portland, in Chicago, New
York City, where you can document a real change in behavior, and we've
got mode shift going on and we can see why it's happened." 

The underlying theme, as it has been in years past, was the reauthorization of federal transportation law. Bike advocates also asked lawmakers to expand programs like Safe Routes to School and adopt new legislation to improve conditions for walking and biking.

"It's a challenging time to be asking for more funding," said Clarke. "But this isn't new money, first and foremost. There's money in the system that can be used that isn't being used on safety programs or bridges or congestion relief programs that can very legitimately be used for biking and walking."

That message, said Clarke, is what advocates were urged to tell their representatives.

"I was rather impressed with some of the speeches our people made," said bicycling pioneer Gary Fisher, who attended the summit for the first time. "We keep coming and coming and coming and it keeps getting bigger and bigger."

For more on the National Bike Summit, visit Bike Portland. Jonathan Maus cranked out some excellent coverage.

We've also got video of most of LaHood's speech to the bike summit, but a warning that the quality isn't the best:

LabSummitThurs-fast-34_1.jpgCongressman Earl Blumenaur. Photo: Jeffrey Martin, courtesy of the
League of
American Bicyclists
Crowd.jpgA large crowd of advocates packed a room for the National Bike Summit closing reception in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Photo: Bryan Goebel.
gary_fish_and_lahood_2.jpgCycling pioneer Gary Fisher meets Transportation Secretary LaHood. Photo: Bryan Goebel.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Komanoff: Data Show Fewer Trucks in the So. Bronx After Congestion Pricing

Expert Charles Komanoff, using MTA bridge and tunnel data, dispels one of the myths that opponents spread about the Manhattan toll.

September 19, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Mayor’s Mismanagement Report Edition

Revealed: lots more failures of the Adams administration. Plus other news from the perfect day for our editor to test positive for Covid.

September 19, 2025

Friday Video: A Brief Look At What Austin Street Could Be

Check out what a safer, better, more vibrant Austin Street could look like.

September 19, 2025

City Gave Garbage Routes To Companies With Bad Safety Records: Audit

Companies with the most safety violations scored big under Mayor Adams.

September 18, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Across the Pond Edition

Transportation planners in London are using traffic filters to create mini town squares and low-traffic neighborhoods. Plus more news.

September 18, 2025

OPINION: Here’s How to Bring Real Bus Rapid Transit to Flatbush Avenue

It is worth a little extra time and money to get this right.

September 17, 2025
See all posts