Secretary Foxx is challenging mayors and local elected officials to take significant action to improve safety for bicycle riders and pedestrians of all ages and abilities over the next year. Mayors’ Challenge participants will be invited to attend the Mayors’ Summit for Safer People, Safer Streets in March, and their cities will spend a year helping their communities undertake seven activities to improve safety. The challenge is based on the 2010 USDOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation. You can find more information regarding the Mayors’ Challenge in the following executive summary document.

Cities can join the challenge here or by emailing their Team Leader’s contact information to pedbikesafety@dot.gov.

Mayors and other elected city officials can participate by leading a call to action and helping their cities take on the Challenge activities outlined below.

Call to Action

• Issue a public statement about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety
• Form a local action team to advance safety and accessibility goals
• Take local action through the Challenge activities (listed below)

Mayors’ Challenge Activities

• Take a Complete Streets approach
• Identify and address barriers to make streets safe and convenient for all road users, including people of all ages and abilities and those using assistive mobility devices
• Gather and track biking and walking data
• Use designs that are appropriate to the context of the street and its uses
• Take advantage of opportunities to create and complete ped-bike networks through maintenance
• Improve walking and biking safety laws and regulations
• Educate and enforce proper road use behavior by all

For the full United States Department of Transportation article, click here.