Advocacy & Safety - Transportation bill passes US Senate

Information culled from various sources. The best information on this that I can find is from http://www.americabikes.org :

TEA-3, the successor to the transportation enhancement program TEA-21, was approved February 13th by the US Senate. By a 76 - 21 vote, senators gave the ok for spending $318 billion dollars for the coming six years.

Funding for recreational trails is increased from $270 Million under the current TEA-21 to $360 Million. New funding that the senate bill will provide includes "Safe Routes to Schools" which will get $70 Million dollars each year under the plan.

The US House last Fall passed a similar bill extending transportation enhancement spending. Once the House and the Senate complete work on their bills, a conference committee will work out differences between the two versions.

Then the bill goes to the President for his signature. The bill calls for spending $62 billion dollars more than President Bush wants to spend and he has threatened a veto.

Taken 2/25 from LAB website http://www.bikeleague.org :

There is growing pressure in Congress to downsize the bill-which would effectively downsize bicycling-by cutting into programs like Safe Routes to School, the Bicycle Commuter Act, and efforts to "complete the streets" and increase safety funding for bicycling and walking. In a February 23 article in Roll Call, Representative Don Young (R-AK) and Representative James Oberstar (D-MN) wrote, "Opposition to this approach is stiff, and we will likely pass a transportation bill that costs less and does less."

Sounds like the bill needs our help. Please call or email your representatives and senators and urge them to help keep this bill intact.

Thats 62 billion that bush would rather see spent on more airplanes and smart bombs. Another possibility is that by encouraging biking to work and school he would be taking money out of the fascist oil companies' pockets, which means less money for Mr. Bush. I really hate how politics is driven by money instead of common good of the nation.

It took me about 10 minutes to fire off emails to my senators and representative. If you believe as I do that the components of this bill are important please take the time to make your opinion known.

I don't like the form letters so I crafted my own and believe it to be accurate, even if not professional. If you wish to borrow from what I wrote please feel free.

Dear Senator Sessions,

I am writing to urge you to support the current spending bills for transportation that the house and senate have recently passed. These bills (formerly known as TEA-21, now known as TEA-3 I believe) will provide very important funding for transportation alternatives.

I understand that there is consideration to remove funding for "Safe Routes to Schools" from the finalized version. With obesity now a major medical problem it is incumbant on all of us to get our young people involved in healthy lifestyles as early as possible.

Also, it is important that we promote alternative transportation for US workers. The Bicycle Commuter Act will do this. The cost of this portion of the bill is minimal and will easily be offset by the savings in fuel consumption, pollution and general well being of the populace.

Thank you in advance for helping to keep the transportation enhancement bills intact and strong as we present these to our President.

<name and address here>