According to the Associated Press, “Oil prices marched past $103 a barrel on Monday, the latest in a recent string of record-high oil prices, before settling at $102.45… ‘It’s like throwing sands in the wheels of the economy,’ said Brian Bethune, economist at Global Insight.”

No doubt. But, it’s also be throwing more air into America’s bicycle tires.

For the next three days, bicycle advocates from across the U.S. will be in Washington D.C. for the National Bike Summit. Their collective message? Biking is one way to conserve energy in light of these high prices.

Michigan is sending a contingent of advocates primarily from the League of Michigan Bicyclists. Local Detroit area cyclists Dante Lanzetta and Steve Roach will be part of that group.

Many of the bicycling facilities we now have — or are getting — are a result of bicycling’s inclusion in the federal transportation bills ISTEA, TEA-21, and SAFETEA-LU. That’s why it’s so important that cycling advocates continue the annual trek to DC and make sure we continue to receive transportation funding.

The Daily Press (Virginia) ran an article today that asks, “Will the high price of oil help make 2008 the Year of the Bicycle?”

We sure hope so.

Tags: LMB

This entry was posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 6:46 pm and is filed under Funding, General bike news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.