42 U.S.C. § 16103 — Conserve by Bicycling Program

(a) Definitions. "Program" means the Conserve by Bicycling Program set up by subsection (b). "Secretary" means the Secretary of Transportation. (b) Establishment. The Department of Transportation gets a new program called the "Conserve by Bicycling Program." (c) Projects. (1) In general: Running the program, the Secretary must set up no more than 10 pilot projects. They must be spread out geographically across the United States, and designed to save energy by getting people to bike instead of drive. (2) Requirements: Each pilot project must use education and marketing to turn car trips into bike trips; document its results and how much energy it saved (in estimated energy units); build partnerships in at least two of these fields: transportation, law enforcement, education, public health, environment, or energy; make the most of investments in bike facilities; show methods other regions could copy; and help ongoing programs keep going using local money. (3) Cost sharing: At least 20% of each pilot project's cost must come from non-federal sources. (d) Energy and bicycling research study. (1) In general: Within 2 years of August 8, 2005, the Secretary had to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study, and report to Congress on, whether converting car trips to bike trips is realistic. (2) Components: The study had to document the pilot projects' results or progress; figure out what type and length of car trips people could realistically make by bike instead, considering weather, land use and traffic patterns, how much bikes can carry, and bike infrastructure; determine what energy savings would result from switching trips to bikes; include a cost-benefit analysis of investing in bike infrastructure; and describe what factors would encourage more people to bike instead of drive. (e) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $6,200,000 total, staying available until spent. Of that: $5,150,000 must fund the pilot projects in subsection (c); $300,000 must let the Secretary coordinate, publicize, and share the program's results; and $750,000 must fund the study in subsection (d).