| 08/17/2001 | Bike League Meets with US Secretary of TransportationU.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta met this morning with the League’s Executive Director Elissa Margolin and Director of Government Relations Melé Williams. During the hour-long meeting, the League discussed the reauthorization of TEA-21, Safe Routes to School, the National Bike SummitTM (March 6-8, 2002 in Washington, DC) and other issues. Mineta expressed support for bicycling and praised the ongoing and important relationship between the Department of Transportation and League.
Margolin and Williams delivered some 2,500 letters from League members to the Secretary, congratulating him on his appointment and asking him to support efforts to promote and encourage bicycling.
Margolin said, “I found Secretary Mineta to by very receptive to our issues. As one of the original authors of the ISTEA legislation, his knowledge and foresight on the importance of bicycling were evident.” Since the passage of ISTEA, federal transportation spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects has increased from $17.1 million in 1991 to over $296 million in 2000.
Prior to his appointment to President Bush’s cabinet, Mineta served in Congress as Chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee. Mineta represented the Silicon Valley area in Northern California for 21 years in the House, and also served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton.
Williams said, “This morning’s meeting was a great opportunity to discuss the successes of this year’s National Bike SummitTM and to brief Secretary Mineta on our future plans.”www.bikeleague.org
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