WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will address the League of American Bicyclists' annual National Bike Summit on Wednesday. The four-day summit is being held virtually this year.
More than 1,000 bike advocates are expected to participate in the summit.
"The League knows communities are stronger, people are happier, and life is better for everyone when more people can safely and easily choose to go places by bike," said Bill Nesper, the League's executive director. "Based on his work overseeing the transformation of South Bend into a Bicycle Friendly Community, we're excited to have a Secretary of Transportation in Pete Buttigieg, who also knows the benefits of bicycling and we can't wait to discuss his vision for the future of our transportation system at the National Bike Summit."
Buttigieg will speak at noon ET Wednesday. Following his remarks he will participate in a sit-down discussion with Nesper.
Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., were scheduled to speak at the virtual event on Monday. Carper, chairman of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, has pledged to draft a bill that will go further than the Senate's 2019 version of the transportation bill in addressing climate change, safety and innovation. DeFazio, chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has promised a "transformative" transportation bill, the League said.
"Having these three national transportation leaders joining us at the Summit is a powerful recognition of the millions of American who bike to run errands, to head to work, or as a part being active, and of the hundreds of thousands of advocates in our movement to build better places for people to bike, whether for fun or to everyday destinations," said Nesper.
Other policymakers speaking at the National Bike Summit include Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who is the co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., who co-chairs the Future of Transportation Caucus, and Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
More information on the summit at bikeleague.org/summit.
