Election Day is quick approaching, and the best way you vote can affect each a part of your life — even your biking expertise, whether or not you journey to work or race on the weekends.
We reached out to the nation’s main bicycling advocacy teams to be taught what every presidential candidate – Donald Trump and Kamala Harris– brings to the desk for bicyclists.
Whereas neither candidate explicitly addresses any bicycling-related insurance policies of their platforms, there are a number of legislative acts and commerce proposals that would considerably affect the way forward for bike infrastructure, e-bike adoption and security, and home manufacturing. Right here’s a breakdown of the insurance policies which might be most definitely to have an effect on cyclists and the biking business.
There’s loads at stake and energetic engagement in each nationwide and native elections is essential. People for Bikes and the League of American Bicyclists urge voters to totally analysis their choices and guarantee their voices are heard—so hop in your bikes and solid your votes on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.
What’s at Stake for Cyclists within the 2024 Presidential election?
Bicycling Infrastructure and Protected Streets
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
With highway security at a important low, the necessity for well-funded, efficient transportation initiatives is important. Neither candidate has made highway security a prime precedence, however right here’s what coverage consultants have gleaned from their proposals and public statements on transportation coverage.
Trump’s Venture 2025 infrastructure agenda prioritises broad deregulation and personal funding, believing that lowering authorities oversight and inspiring personal funding will spur financial development. Traditionally, this strategy has favoured larger-scale initiatives like highways and bridges that cater to cars with much less emphasis on biking, strolling or transit initiatives.
As Caron Whitaker, Deputy Government Director of the League of American Bicyclists, places it, “Principally, what [Project 2025] says is that bicycling and strolling funding just isn’t a federal challenge and shouldn’t be lined below a federal invoice. In 2023, we noticed roughly 1. 2 billion {dollars} go to biking and strolling infrastructure. [Trump’s approach] would say no extra of that.”
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Transportation has not been a spotlight of Vice President Harris’ marketing campaign. Nevertheless, her alignment with local weather initiatives means she has proven help for transit funding that intersects with environmental targets. Moreover, Harris has supported initiatives that handle public security and multimodal transport, not directly benefitting biking infrastructure by selling full streets and concrete renewal initiatives that embody bike-friendly elements.
All of it hinges on Congress
Finally, a lot of the path on infrastructure will hinge on Congress.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL), or Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act (IIJA) because it’s formally recognized, was signed into regulation by President Joe Biden in 2021. The regulation represents a serious funding in U.S. infrastructure, together with transportation methods, water assets, vitality infrastructure and job creation, with $550 billion in new spending over 5 years. It’s set to run out in 2026, which means that the subsequent Congress could have large affect over the way forward for federal bike infrastructure funds.
Whitaker stated that defending these funds is without doubt one of the League’s major targets.
“There is a Protected Streets for All program that was within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation, which funded native governments to write down security plans after which to implement initiatives in that plan. After three of the 5 years, 73 p.c of the U. S. inhabitants is roofed by a kind of planning initiatives,” Whitaker stated.
“We wish to be sure that funding is accessible for these initiatives as a result of a rise in security will improve bicycling. As everyone knows, the primary purpose individuals do not wish to bike is they do not really feel secure.”
Management on the Division of Transportation will play an important position, Whitaker identified.
Underneath the Trump administration, the then Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao adopted largely a hands-off strategy when it got here to bike and strolling infrastructure.
“In some methods, it was benign neglect,” Whitaker stated. “Biking and strolling was not a precedence of hers, and we did not see a number of the discretionary grants go to biking and strolling. However we additionally did not see any efforts to tug again funding. We did see a number of analysis growth be carried out inside Federal Highways, however principally, issues continued as regular.”
The Biden administration and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg took a extra proactive strategy, prioritising weak person security, which The League applauded.
Tariffs on China-made Bikes
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Tariff coverage might be a major issue for the bike business. Trump and Harris each see tariffs as a necessary means to bolster American business, however their implementation methods differ.
Trump helps broad tariffs throughout numerous imports, together with a steep 60% on Chinese language merchandise. In 2022 alone, the U.S. imported greater than $2.2 billion price of bicycles, with the bulk coming from China. For years, bicycles and e-bikes have been exempt from these tariffs, however the exclusions expired in June 2023. Hoping to bypass these steep taxes, bike and part producers are taking their manufacturing to different Asian nations.
Nevertheless, the dearth of a Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) reauthorisation signifies that merchandise from these nations are nonetheless topic to steep tariffs. The GSP is a commerce program established by developed nations to advertise financial development in growing nations by permitting sure merchandise to enter their markets at decreased tariffs. With out GSP advantages, bicycles and bike equipment from eligible growing nations don’t obtain the tariff aid they could in any other case qualify for, growing prices for U.S. importers and shoppers.
Folks for Bikes is lobbying Congress to reinstate GSP, hoping to ease monetary pressures on the business and hold client costs from skyrocketing.
“The GSP reauthorisation might be one of many quickest and handiest ways in which the brand new administration may affect the bike business,” stated Matt Moore, Common and Coverage Counsel for Folks for Bikes.
Harris additionally favours some tariffs to guard American manufacturing however advocates for a extra focused strategy, aiming tariffs at industries with the best potential for home manufacturing development moderately than across-the-board measures.
Aid for American Bicycle Producers
(Picture credit score: Argonaut Cycles)
For American bike producers who depend on the worldwide provide chain for supplies and elements, current laws goals to supply focused aid.
Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s proposed Home Bicycle Product Act takes a three-pronged strategy to defending and reinvigorating U.S. bike manufacturing by implementing a tariff suspension on imported bicycle elements, creating an e-bike manufacturing tax credit score, and providing low-interest loans to bicycle producers for buying manufacturing gear.
“We used to make a number of bicycles in the US. In reality, we have been in a position to provide each bicycle wanted in the US from home manufacturing. That ended when the federal government wouldn’t help the home business towards international competitors,” commented Matt Moore. “We’re hopeful that may change together with a number of different industries, like metal manufacturing, laptop chips, photo voltaic panels.”
E-Bike Coverage and the Push for Federal Tax Credit
(Picture credit score: Tern)
Whereas the e-bike market is rising quickly, federal help for e-bike tax credit has been inconsistent. Whereas incentives for electrical autos have been included within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation, proposed e-bike tax credit have been eliminated earlier than the invoice’s passage.
Each bike lobbying teams help the E-BIKE Act, which might set up a federal tax credit score for e-bike purchases, just like present incentives for electrical autos. The invoice is now into account, primarily supported by Democrats with restricted Republican backing.
Neither presidential candidate has particularly addressed e-bike insurance policies of their campaigns, however Harris has, nevertheless, been usually supportive of inexperienced initiatives and infrastructure that embody sustainable transportation, which may embody e-bikes not directly.
De Minimis Loophole & The Drawback with Imported Bike Batteries
There was a rising concern over the protection of low-cost, imported e-bike batteries, which have been accountable for an alarming quantity of fires.
Moore defined that many of those batteries and digital elements fall below the “de minimis” threshold, which permits items valued below $800 to bypass formal customs checks.
Each Trump and Harris have expressed curiosity in reforming this loophole to enhance product security, because it poses dangers not just for product security but additionally for screening imported items for illicit substances.
Vote for bikes
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Past the presidential race, there’s a lot at stake this November, particularly on the state and native ranges. Folks for Bikes estimates that as a lot as $25 billion in native funding for safer highway infrastructure is up for grabs in numerous state and municipal ballots throughout the nation. (See a state-by-state information right here).
“Folks ought to get out and vote. And if they’ve the chance to vote for bikes, we strongly encourage them to take action,” stated Moore
