5 JUL 2007: Ask MoDOT to protect bicycle/pedestrian funding

In recent months, increasing budgetary pressures have forced the government to repeatedly cut domestic spending. While Rails-to-Trails Conservancy understands competing legitimate demands on federal funds, we are committed to protecting trail funding from unfair cuts. Thank you for standing with us and continuing to respond to our calls to action.

1. TAKE ACTION TO AGAIN PROTECT YOUR STATE'S TRAIL FUNDING

When notified of a funding cut in March, you asked your governors to direct their transportation departments to protect Transportation Enhancements (TE), the nation's largest funding source for trails, walking and biking.

The difference you made was tremendous. In 2006, states cut $600 million from TE. In March, states cut one-third of that amount from TE. Thank you. Despite the improvement, however, some states still disproportionately cut TE.

See how your state performed here

Note: This is one area where Missouri performed well--no money was taken from Enhancements in the March cut.

On Wednesday, June 20, a 2007 Appropriations Act triggered the requirement that states cut yet another $870 million from their transportation programs! TE is once again in danger of being disproportionately targeted. Given your impressive past success, it is critical that you speak up again for TE.

Visit this site to speak up.

Note: Missouri Contact info is
MODOT Director Pete Rahn 573-751-4622
pete.rahn[at]modot.mo.gov

Please THANK MoDOT for projecting Enhancements and other bicycle/pedestrian funding and ask them to continue to do so.

Decisions for how to allocate these cuts must be made by July 20. It is crucial that you call your department of transportation (DOT) head as soon as possible and ask that TE funding be preserved. Calls are a great way to follow up on a previous action.

These calls are quick and easy, and we provide you with
straightforward sample text to use. Please call now to personally speak up for TE!

2. Federal Advocacy: H.R. 2701 to protect trail funding passes House Committee!

On Friday, June 15, 2007, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy was notified that Sec. 252 of H.R. 2701, pending before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, included a provision requiring future TE cuts be proportional to cuts from other programs. If it passes the full Congress, this bill will prevent state departments of transportation (DOTs) from gutting TE.

We issued an urgent action to a select group of you with congressional representatives on this committee. With only 24 hours to respond before the vote, many of you wrote your representatives asking them to support this bill. Thanks to you, the TE protection provision passed the Committee. This was a vital step in the ongoing process to ensure that TE will not be unfairly targeted in future rescissions.

Thank you.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

AdvocacyAlerts: 5 JUL 2007: Ask MoDOT to protect bicycle/pedestrian funding

Related:

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News: U.S. House committee passes TEA-21 reauthorization

AdvocacyAlerts-21 July 2003: Transportation Enhancements action in the U.S. House July 24th

News: Federal Transportation Enhancement Funding Saved

News: MoDOT lobbying comes under fire; MoDOT influence kept Complete Streets out of major transportation bill