WA State Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers cosigned a bipartisan letter praising USDOT Sec. Ray LaHood for supporting increased investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities. She was one of only four Republicans to sign the letter. OR Reps. Earl Blumenauer and David Wu, along with House Transportation Committee Chair Jim Oberstar also signed the letter.

LaHood's self-described "sea-change" in federal policy was cheered strongly by bicycle, pedestrian, and livability advocates, but panned by trucking stakeholders. And the National Association of Manufacturers commented that "in winning points with the bicycle lobby, the Secretary departed from economic reality." The policy shift also increased nervousness among some highway stakeholders, given all the attention from LaHood on livability, transit and bike-ped issues and the few comments from LaHood on highway issues. Streetsblog Capitol Hill has the story.

The key paragraph:

"We recognize, and appreciate, that your statement was not about providing equal amounts of funding to all forms of transportation, or prioritizing bicycling and walking over other transportation modes such as trucking, freight or public transit. Instead, your commitment to consider all modes clarified that to give citizens a choice, rather than forcing them into their car, we must make sure that bicycling and walking are as safe and convenient as other modes."

Letter to LaHood Re Bike-ped