WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and author of the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act (S.705), Tuesday received the first ever Legislator of the Year Award from the League of American Bicyclists. Senator Cardin delivered remarks in a plaza outside of the National Bike Summit Luncheon after a fire alarm forced an evacuation of the venue.

“A fire alarm was not going to stop me from addressing the people on the front lines of developing impactful transportation alternatives in communities across the country. When we make it easier for people to commute on a bike, we are relieving traffic congestion on our roads, sending less carbon into the air and creating jobs in America. I thank my colleagues in the Senate for including my Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act (TAPIA) in the recent transportation bill. The legislation will introduce a number of positive changes for the Transportation Alternatives Program, including additional funding, new reporting requirements and greater accountability,” said Senator Cardin.  “The transportation bill was a step in the right direction, especially for biking and public safety. Despite that, there is still progress to be made. That’s why the advocacy done by the biking community is so critical today and going forward.”

“We appreciate Senator Cardin’s steadfast support for biking and the role it can play in building strong communities,” said Caron Whitaker, of the League of American Bicyclists.