Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 143

RESOLUTION CHAPTER 74

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 143—Relative to National Bike Month.

[Filed with Secretary of State June 13, 2016.]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 143, Cannella. National Bike Month.

This measure would designate the month of May 2016 as National Bike Month in California and would encourage Californians to ride bicycles for commuting and recreation.

WHEREAS, National Bike Month was established in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists as a way to showcase the many benefits of bicycling and encourage others to give biking a try; and

WHEREAS, The League of American Bicyclists has ranked the State of California as the eighth most bicycle-friendly state, based on the state’s 56 bicycle-friendly communities, 92 bicycle-friendly businesses, and 14 bicycle-friendly universities; and

WHEREAS, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons to ride, such as biking to work or school, riding to save money or time, preserving health or the environment, or exploring local communities; and

WHEREAS, The bicycle is an economic, healthy, convenient, and environmentally sound form of transportation and an excellent tool for recreation and the enjoyment of California’s scenic beauty; and

WHEREAS, Creating a bicycle-friendly community has been credited with improving the health of local residents, growing local economies, attracting tourism dollars, and reducing pollution and road congestion; and

WHEREAS, In 2012, bicycling became the third most popular and second most frequent outdoor activity among adults in the United States with 51 percent of bicycle trips made for utilitarian purposes such as commuting; and

WHEREAS, The number of bicyclists is growing rapidly throughout the United States. The National Household Travel Survey showed that the number of trips made by bicycle in the United States more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009; and

WHEREAS, The League of American Bicyclists estimate that Americans saved $4.6 billion in 2012 by bicycling instead of driving an automobile, based on the annual operating expense of $308 for a bicycle and an $8,000 annual operating expense of a car; and

WHEREAS, Bicycling is quickly becoming more than just a recreational activity. The number of United States commuters using a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation in the United States grew by more than 62 percent; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates May 2016 as National Bike Month in California to celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, to encourage Californians to ride bicycles for commuting and recreation, and to urge local communities to create bicycle-friendly policies and facilities; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.



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