Will Congress Turn a Blind Eye to 50,000 Preventable Deaths? [LAB]

News out of the conference committee working on the federal transportation bill isn’t good. While Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. John Mica (R-FL) yesterday announced that “the conferees have moved forward toward a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a highway reauthorization bill,” we’re hearing that important programs that fund biking and walking are in urgent peril. To shine the spotlight on the critical importance of federal dollars in making our street safe for all users, Transportation for America has released new data showing the tremendous death toll of streets designed for cars alone: 50,000 preventable pedestrian deaths between 2001 and 2010. Those tragedies touched all Congressional district across the country, making the preservation of bike/ped funding a local issue for every single member of Congress. [Keep reading at LAB]