Photo courtesy of Dan Langenkamp

Congress Reintroduces the Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act
to Boost Safety and Investment in Biking and Walking
Marisa Jones and Vanessa Cascio

We are pleased to share that the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act has been reintroduced in the 119^th Congress! In partnership with the League of American Bicyclists, we began lobbying for this bill during the previous Congress to give states new tools and flexibilities to use federal funds to improve safety for biking and walking. This week, it was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8), Representative Derrick Van Orden (D-WI-3), Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI-1), Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA-4), and in the US Senate by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN). We are deeply appreciative of these bipartisan leaders in both chambers of Congress for their leadership on this critical issue.

At a high level, the Langenkamp bill gives states new tools to build safe, supportive infrastructure for walking and bicycling. Review our fact sheet and read on to learn more about this bill.

Background

This bill is named in honor of Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, a U.S. diplomat, wife, and mother who tragically was killed when hit by a truck riding her bicycle home from her children’s school. Sarah’s family describes her as a confident cyclist who knew the rules of the road well — but a gap in supportive infrastructure for cycling is where she was struck by a truck and killed. Her family hopes this bill will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians everywhere, preventing similar tragedies in the future.

What’s in the Bill?

The Langenkamp Bill includes key provisions that will make it easier to invest in safe and supportive infrastructure for biking, walking, and Safe Routes to School, especially projects identified at the local level through the Transportation Alternatives Program, in Vulnerable Road User (VRU) safety plans, and in Comprehensive Safety Action plans developed with Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) plans. Here’s how:

1. Expanded eligibility for safety projects. The bill adds two new types of projects to the list of “highway safety improvement” eligible for HSIP funding:

• Connecting two or more segments of existing bicyclist and pedestrian infrastructure. This means projects linking up separate segments to create continuous safe routes for walking and biking.  
• Reducing safety risks to vulnerable road users – like pedestrians and cyclists. These projects are focused on improving safety for people walking and biking based on findings from the state’s Vulnerable Road User Assessment.

2. Reduced non-federal share for safety projects. The bill also gives states three ways to make it easier to reduce their local match requirement (non-federal share) for projects that keep people walking and bicycling safe:

• Fully fund safety projects with Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). States can use HSIP funds to cover the entire cost of projects that close gaps in walking and biking infrastructure or are identified in the state’s VRU safety assessment.
   
• 100% federal cost share (no local match) for projects that include Proven Safety Countermeasures for bicyclists and pedestrians. Projects that include evidence-based safety solutions for walking and biking, such as protected bike lanes or high-visibility crosswalks, can be funded entirely with federal money, with no local match required.  
   
• Use HSIP funds as the non-federal share for Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) projects*.  States can apply HSIP funds to cover the non-federal portion of TAP projects if they meet one of these criteria:
  • The project includes a Proven Safety Countermeasure for people walking or biking, and if the state’s strategic highway safety plan includes an emphasis area related to vulnerable road users
  • The project is identified in the state’s Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment        
  • The project has been identified by a local government, metropolitan planning organization (MPO), regional transportation planning organization in a safety plan through a planning process and a data-based analysis.

*This restructures existing law to incentivize states to use this provision by allowing HSIP to offset the amount of overall non-federal share (local match) required by the state. Currently, states may use HSIP as match for TAP, but it then requires them to capture overmatch on projects.

Why We Are Excited for This Bill

We’re encouraged by this bill because it helps state departments of transportation maximize the resources they already have to prioritize safety for biking and walking. The Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act encourages states to close gaps in walking and biking infrastructure and connects the VRU Safety Assessment to on-the-ground projects. By allowing projects to be fully federally funded, this bill makes it easier for communities with limited resources to access these funds and make their streets safer for people walking and biking.

So, what can you do now to help ensure your state stewards these funds for biking and walking?

• Contact your Members of Congress in both the House and the Senate and ask them to co-sponsor the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Act. In the House, the bill number is 2011. In the Senate, the bill is SB 944.
• Familiarize yourself with your state’s VRU assessment. This publicly accessible document is often part of the state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan and can typically be found on the same project webpage or as an appendix to the plan.  
• Identify relevant projects in that plan that impact your community. Reach out to your state’s department of transportation to ask about any plans they may have to address safety issues.