Press Release: sent to local newspapers and radio & television media stations on 8/29/07. Submitted by Zachary Shahan, Executive Director, Alliance for Community Choice in Transportataion.

Virginia ranks 45th among all states for funding bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Virginia has a ways to go to increase bicycling and walking, according to a report released today by the Thunderhead Alliance, the national coalition of state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. The report, entitled “Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.,” compares the 50 states and the 50 most-populous U.S. cities on bicycling and walking levels, investment and policies for bicycling and walking, and public health indicators. According to the report, Virginia ranks 45th among the 50 states for per capita funding of bicycle and pedestrian projects.

"Even in the United States, where bicyclists and pedestrians are given meager proportions of transportation funds, Virginia is not giving as much money (per capita) as 44 other states for bicycle and pedestrian projects. We need to catch up!"
-Zachary Shahan, Executive Director of The Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (Charlottesville, VA)

The report highlights the great challenges the U.S. faces with increasing bicycling and walking. While national data suggest that 9.6% of all trips are bicycling or walking, 12.9% of all traffic-related fatalities are bicyclists or pedestrians, and only 1.5% of federal transportation dollars are spent on bicycling and walking projects. Virginia spends roughly 0.5% of its federal transportation dollars on bicycle and pedestrian projects. Data on percentage of transportation dollars spent on bicycling and walking in Charlottesville and Albermarle are not available at this time, but it is known that in Charlottesville approximately 18.5% of trips to work are made by walking or bicycling and in Albermarle County approximately 1.5% of trips to work are made by these modes. So, there is clearly the need for bicycle and pedestrian projects in this area to support current bicycle/pedestrian travel and to help support more.

The report was released to Thunderhead Alliance’s network of bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations as well as government officials throughout the country. Thunderhead Alliance hopes that these data, much of which have never been collected and made public before, are used by advocates, government officials, and concerned citizens to promote a greater investment in bicycling and walking in their communities.

According to Sue Knaup, Thunderhead’s Executive Director, “State and local governments can determine whether their money goes towards expanding highways or improving their communities for bicycling and walking. In order to make streets safe and accessible for all users and reverse our nation’s obesity epidemic, state and local governments must get serious about investing in bicycling and walking.”

The Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (ACCT), in Charlottesville, is one of 128 members of the Thunderhead Alliance nationwide. It works to promote balanced transportation options and sustainable land use in the greater Charlottesville area.

ACCT is currently working to support and encourage safe bicycle and pedestrian travel to local schools and to improve the bicycling environment in Charlottesville. To learn how you can support the work of ACCT visit www.transportationchoice.org.

To view the entire report visit www.thunderheadalliance.org/pdf/benchmarking2007.pdf .

For more information on the report contact:
Kristen Steele
Thunderhead Alliance
Phone: (415) 513-5281
E-mail: kristen@thunderheadalliance.org
www.thunderheadalliance.org