Advocacy Alerts

Congress and the president are debating a huge economic stimulus package. A major part of that, pushed by DOTs from across the country, will be funding for roads and bridges.

This presents both an opportunity and threat for creating a better bicycling and walking infrastructure across the U.S.

You can make your voice be heard in support of better bicycling and walking infrastructure, on a national scale, by signing the petition to Congress.

This is an opportunity of a generation to move bicycling and walking forward nationwide--because, as we have found out in Missouri, getting the federal government to work in support of bicycling and walking helps moves our politically insulated Missouri bureaucrats, who remain stuck in 1940s transportation thinking unless something like this comes along to make them move forward.

It presents a threat, because if hundreds of billions are poured into road and highway infrastructure--omitting bicycling and walking, as has been consistently done for the past 75 years, an infrastructure unfriendly to walking and bicycling will literally be poured into place.

And will last another 50 years.

It only takes a minute to speak up to Congress by signing the petition.

Related:

News: Columbia MO bike-ped pilot program in the news

News: Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations: What did Congress intend with Tea-21?

permanent link to article: "1 DEC 2008: Include bicycling/walking in nat'l economic recovery"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/01/2008 02:51:00 PM |comment on this article

Transportation for America has an interesting campaign going on to introduce 21st century transportation issues into the presidential campaign.

They write:

America's transportation system is half a century behind—causing unnecessary pollution, expense, and congestion.

We need our next president to lead an initiative to invest in public transit, high-speed trains, places to bike and walk, and green innovation. We need a president with a plan to strengthen our economy, create jobs, reduce our dependence on oil, and make it easier for Americans to find the money to meet their growing transportation needs.

Fill out the fields below to urge John McCain and Barack Obama to discuss their plans to build a 21st Century transportation system in their remarks at the final presidential debate.

Related:

News: Transportation Enhancements comes to House vote Thurs, September 4th

News: California dedicates 1/3 of safety money to Safe Routes to Schools

permanent link to article: "11 OCT 2008: Ask presidential candidates to include transportation issues in final debate"
posted by Brent Hugh at 10/11/2008 07:31:00 PM |comment on this article

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is asking clubs, groups, and organizations across the country to sign on to a letter that will help House Transportation Chair Rep. James Oberstar support performance-based outcomes for the next transportation bill related to public health.

Performance-based outcomes will be a big emphasis of the next federal transportation bill.

The automobile and construction industries will be certain to push for performance-based outcomes designed to move more traffic at higher rates of speed.

Unless there are public health outcomes specified as well, it will be very difficult to justify spending transportation funds on walking and bicycling projects.

Rep. Oberstar supports this idea strongly, but with waffling and opposition from other members of the Transportation Committee, he needs to show that there is strong grass-roots support for this idea from across the country.

Any national, state or local organization that cares about the health care of Americans is encouraged to sign on to this letter. To do so email Brooke Driesse (brooke@saferoutespartnership.org) at the Safe Routes to School National Partnership with:

• The name and title of the individual who should be listed for your organization
• The name of your organization, as it should be listed
• Your contact information (including phone and email)

Key excerpt from the letter:

As you are drafting the legislation for the successor to SAFETEA-LU, we, the undersigned national, state and local organizations, write to urge you to recognize the key role the federal government holds with respect to how surface transportation affects public health—in particular, outcomes on physical activity, safety, and air quality. We urge Congress to develop performance-based outcomes for the next transportation bill related to public health. . . .

Congress should ensure that transportation projects improve opportunities for public health, and do not create additional public health hazards.

Related:

News: Federal Complete Streets Amendment offered--your support needed

News: Walk and Bicycle to School Month Resolution adopted by Missouri House

permanent link to article: "9 OCT 2008: Organizations sign on to letter to support bike/ped performance-based outcomes in next federal transportation bill"
posted by Brent Hugh at 10/09/2008 12:00:00 AM |comment on this article

That date to register to vote for the general elections in November 2008 is rapidly approaching:

• Oct 8th, 2008, 5PM: Voter registration deadline in Missouri, for the November election. Instructions and forms to register to vote in Missouri are here.


• Nov 4th, 2008: General election.

Remember "I bicycle and I vote" or "I walk and I vote" is one of the most powerful things we can say as we work to make Missouri a better, safer place to walk and bicycle.

Related:

News: Harkin "Complete Streets" Amendment fails; MO Sen. Bond speaks against

News: Report from the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C.

permanent link to article: "Register to Vote in MO by Oct 8th; Vote Nov 4th"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/30/2008 08:11:00 PM |comment on this article

Walter Finch of the League of American Bicyclists sends the following important advocacy alert. Click here to find contact info for your Congress member and send a message.

The House Congressional Resolution on Bicycling (H.Con.Res.
305), introduced in February, calls on the United States Congress to adopt a national bicycling strategy to fully realize the incredible benefits of getting more people bicycling, more safely, more often. There is a "sense of Congress" that complete streets policies are essential to ensure wise use of considerable Federal investment in transportation infrastructure, and that expanded funding for bicycling and walking programs is desirable and appropriate.

As we celebrate National Bike Month in May, cities and organizations throughout the country will be hosting events promoting bicycling as a healthy, fun, and viable form of transportation. This is also a perfect opportunity to contact your Congressional Representatives to thank those that have signed onto the Resolution and urge those that have not to so.

A good showing for the Resolution is essential as this would serve as the first ever comprehensive bicycling policy statement and would serve as an important policy statement guide for the next transportation reauthorization which begins next year (2009).

As part of National Bike Month please take a moment to Contact your Congressional Member to urge them to support HCONRES305.

Thank you.

Related:

News: Federal Complete Streets Amendment offered--your support needed

News: Congress: New Climate Change Bill Passes House Committee

permanent link to article: "29 APR 2009: Urge Congress to set a national bicycling policy"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/29/2008 02:20:00 PM |comment on this article