Advocacy & Safety - Action alert: keep Transportation Enhancements in the Stimulus!

This is on the VBF website too (http://www.vabike.org/keep-transportation-enhancement-in-the-stimulus-bill/), with a "Share This" link so you can email it or share it in social media. Please help spread the word.

ACTION ALERT: KEEP TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT FUNDING IN THE STIMULUS
BILL!

The following action alert is from the America Bikes Coalition, which
includes the League of American Bicyclists, the Thunderhead Alliance for
Biking and Walking, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the Adventure Cycling
Association, IMBA, and others.

To take action, click on the link below under "CALL TODAY!"

Thank you for your immediate attention and support,

Allen Muchnick, president
Virginia Bicycling Federation
PO Box 5621, Arlington VA 22205-5621

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Calling All Bicyclists and Pedestrians! Please Take Action Today!

Thanks to calls from bicycle and pedestrian advocates like you, the
Senate refused to hear an amendment that would have blocked any Economic
Recovery Bill money from being spent on biking and walking
infrastructure projects. Now we need EVERYONE’S HELP to make certain
that there is strong support for Transportation Enhancements $ for
biking and walking in the final bill!

Support Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects in the Economic Recovery Bill

The House and the Senate have each passed their own version of the
Economic Recovery Bill, aimed at creating jobs and stimulating the
economy. Both bills include billions for transportation infrastructure,
but only the House bill includes funding for bicycle and pedestrian
projects in the Transportation Enhancements program.

The House bill includes approximately $1.35 billion for Transportation
Enhancements of which 50-60% is traditionally spent on bicycle and
pedestrian projects. The Senate bill does not explicitly include
Transportation Enhancements, so it’s unclear whether this funding will
be in the final bill.

We need to make sure Transportation Enhancement funding is in the final
bill.

This week there will be a conference committee where several members of
the House and several members of the Senate will work together to
reconcile the two bills. Conferees need to hear that Transportation
Enhancements are important to stimulating the economy, creating green
jobs, and moving us towards a sustainable future.

CALL TODAY!
[ http://capwiz.com/lab/callalert/index.tt?alertid=12647931 (http://capwiz.com/lab/callalert/index.tt?alertid=12647931) ]

Please call your senators and representative and ask them to tell the
Conferees to support Transportation Enhancements in the Economic
Recovery bill. Tell them:

* Bicycle and pedestrian projects create jobs at the same or better rate
than highway projects.

* These smaller projects can move quickly to hire local businesses and
help local economies.

* Providing safe and convenient bicycle and pedestrian access gives
families healthier and cheaper transportation options

* Improving sidewalks and bike lanes can make a downtown a destination
further helping the local economy.

* Better biking and walking options also help ensure greater energy
independence, less pollution, and a healthier United States!

Please share this email alert with all bicyclists and pedestrians you
can, and encourage them to join you in supporting biking and walking
today! Thank you – together we will make a big difference!

First of all I am an avid cyclist. But more important I am a taxpayer and this bill has absolutely NOTHING to do with economic stimulus. Its garbage that would never get passed on its own merit. Quit trying to advocate for the complete waste of my hard earned tax dollars!!

It's more than cycling as important as that is to us. Even, tho cycling in our energy futures might play a forward roll in reducing US oil consumption. It already does in Chicago and New York. Cycling can be as much a part of America's transportation future as the rest of the world.. Other aspects of Transportation enhancement . Developing new flexible transit systems is a part of the way we move people and that definitely is a part of the economy.

KGriff, perhaps you would be kind enough to enlighten us - what would constitute spending that has SOMETHING to do with economic stimulus?

Sorry, I'm not gonna bug my reps and contacts whining about bike paths not being funded in this particular bill. They can always be funded later and I would much prefer that the actual roads, which I use way more, get some attention.

KGriff, perhaps you would be kind enough to enlighten us - what would constitute spending that has SOMETHING to do with economic stimulus?

Not sure that there is any spending by gov't that would qualify, but letting people keep more of their money and letting them make the spending decisions is a great place to start. The gov't does not know how to spend money properly, there are way to many outside forces trying to steer the spending to their own industries or areas of concern. Gov't should try to create and maintain a climate that encourages growth and investment. Yes I realize that this is a very difficult balance to maintain but that what I want my elected leaders to strive for.

Spending money on a new road, school, bike path etc, would only stimulate the economy while that project is being worked on. Don't get me wrong, some of these projects may be worthy especially new roads that can increase the flow of goods and services between point A and point B. The question of "what kind of growth or economic impact is there after this project is done?" needs to be debated for all of these infrastructure projects. How can that new bike path lead to greater wealth for the country?

Just my thoughts. I try to have an open mind, but on this topic, it will be nearly impossible to convince me that this is good for the country.

Not sure that there is any spending by gov't that would qualify, but letting people keep more of their money and letting them make the spending decisions is a great place to start.

The problem with a tax cut solution in a situation when the economy is tanking is that people who are afraid for their economic futures are people who will take that tax cut and put it in the bank. The idea really is to spend money. Hopefully it will be done in such a way that there will be good and useful stuff purchased.

An example is the Civilian Conservation Corps in the thirties. It was a make work project. It put a lot of young men to work, but they built lots of facilities in parks all over the country that we still enjoy today.

Speedo

How can that new bike path lead to greater wealth for the country?


I suspect that any bike infrastructure purchase with this package is going to be minimal, but there is an answer to your question. Let's say some hypothetical bike path gets built to a fairly built up business area that has unfriendly bike access now. As a result of the new path more people start bike commuting to work (they were afraid of the road before). Less pollution (that's good), less traffic (that's good), some health effects for the bike commuters (My doctor now purrs like a kitten when he looks at my blood work.) (that's good). Down the road, less wear and tear on the road so it doesn't have to be repaved as often.

Speedo

Chip the time to more efficiently plan for bike lanes is when road re-construction is on-going. it will be more expensive later. Gas will again be 4 dollars, sometime in the future. we are doing future generations a favor by contacting our representatives now. Just because this generation is not far sighted enough to see the car culture is not do-able into the future. Unless alternative fuels are developed.

first of all i am an avid cyclist. But more important i am a taxpayer and this bill has absolutely nothing to do with economic stimulus. Its garbage that would never get passed on its own merit. Quit trying to advocate for the complete waste of my hard earned tax dollars!!

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