WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN) — Hundreds of bicycling leaders from around the country are gathering in the nation's capital this week for the 15th annual National Bike Summit, produced by the League of American Bicyclists.
This year's theme is "Bikes+," which focuses on new ideas for exponential growth and building strong partnerships to get there.
Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) will be addressing the summit by video. Other government officials expected to participate include U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Victor Mendez, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mick Cornett, the mayor of Oklahoma City.
"In less than 100 days, the federal transportation law expires and the Highway Trust Fund will go broke — unless Congress acts," said Andy Clarke, the president of the League of American Bicyclists. "That's where the National Bike Summit comes in. We're uniting bicycle advocates from across the country, amplifying our voice for a more bicycle-friendly America on Capitol Hill."
"We'll be talking about how the bike is a solution to many problems and working with our partners in health, business, government, engineering, higher education and more," Clarke said. "But, we'll only see the benefit of that solution if our roads are safe to ride on -- and that's where Congress can help."
The summit opened Tuesday and continues through Thursday.
The LAB is tweeting coverage of the event under the hashtag #nbs15.
