What’s in the 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure bill for cycling safety?

[Dewey]

Last night the House passed the bipartisan transportation infrastructure bill which had earlier passed the Senate. Among the provisions the White House announced that the infrastructure bill includes the Safe and Friendly for the Environment (SAFE) Streets Act - (HR508 by Representatives Brownley and Espaillat). The bill, supported by the Safe Routes Partnership, and the League of American Bicyclists, is an attempt to address the problem that while people walking and bicycling make up nearly 20% of traffic injuries and fatalities, states spend less than 1% of their highway safety funds on people walking and biking. The wording requires state DOT’s to work with local government to identify where an area’s vulnerable user fatality rate is above 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people (the national average), the DOT would then be required to spend 75% of their Transportation Alternatives Progam funding allocation in that area to improve safety for vulnerable road users (While that spreadsheet reports past funding, the New York Times reports the amount dedicated in the infrastructure bill at $11billion)

 

[Dewey]

An interesting point of information shared by People for Bikes, the bipartisan infrastructure bill includes wording to update the US federal government’s definition of an ebike (in section 217 of title 23, of the US Code) to the 3-class system
Source:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1458134677512982529