Everywhere you look in Davis, you’ll see someone traveling on two wheels. It’s also home to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame where Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson announced he’s introducing new federal bike safety legislation.
"It's designed to bolster cycle safe nationwide to get more Americans out on bikes and to bring bicycle manufacturing back to the United States of America," said Thompson.
The bill would end tariffs on bicycle components made abroad. It would also expand access to federal funding for local governments to plan and build bicycle infrastructure to better prevent roadway fatalities.
It has the support of the California Bicycle Coalition, which Kendra Ramsey heads.
"In many communities people on bikes have not been considered legitimate users of the road system," Ramsey said.
The bill comes as the Trump administration makes moves to deprioritize bicycle infrastructure. It’s cut funding for “DEI bike lanes” and stripped bike lane references from federal transportation websites.
"There's not a lot of appreciation for the importance of cycling found in this current Transportation Department," Thompson added. "So, it is important that we pass this legislation."
Thompson says he expects the bill to get pushback in Congress.