Cuts in House Bill Reverses Decades of Progress on Bike/Ped

Below is today's action call from the League of American Bicyclists.  The Transportation bill is out of committee looking worse than expected.    Please contact your US House Representative and ask him/her to support the amendment described below.

 

House Bill Reverses Decades of Progress on Bike/Ped

Take Action!
It’s so much worse than we thought.
 

Today, the House releases its transportation bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Act. You are receiving this action item because your Member is on the transportation committee.  Please click here to contact them.

When we contacted you last week, we knew the bill would be bad news for biking and walking. But we didn’t think it would go so far as to completely cut every reference to bicycling and walking out of the federal transportation policy.

House leadership is pressing to eliminate bicycling and walking in the Transportation bill:

  • Destroys Transportation Enhancements by making the program optional
  • Repeals the Safe Routes to School program, reversing years of progress in creating safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school
  • Allows states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles
  • Eliminates bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs
  • Eliminates language that insures that rumble strips “do not adversely affect the safety or mobility of bicyclists, pedestrians or the disabled” 

But we can still save biking and walking in this bill. This week in the Transportation Committee, Representative Petri (R-WI) will stand up for bicycling and walking by offering an amendment that restores dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School.  Mr. Petri can only be successful if everyone with a stake in safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways contacts their Representative on the Transportation Committee again today to urge them to vote YES on the Petri amendment! 

This is as urgent as it gets.  Even if we do win this amendment, there will be a long road ahead.  But if we lose here, we risk losing decades of progress.

We know we are asking a lot of you and we thank you for all you’re doing to preserve biking and walking.

Views: 401

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on January 31, 2012 at 7:07am

Active Trans is trying to focus on Rep. Hultgren (Elgin) to get this changed before it leaves committee (the vote is on Thursday).

We emailed about 100 members in his district and are making follow-up calls.

If you know someone who lives in his district, please encourage them to call.

Whatever comes out of committee will go to a full floor vote around 2/13. We are planning to let all our members know to call, etc. with a specific request next week.

Thanks to everyone who has been calling and emailing!

Ethan Spotts, Active Trans

Permalink Reply by mindfrieze on January 31, 2012 at 8:35am

Here's the full member list for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

 

It's interesting to note, all the Republicans have direct links to the members' home pages, but the Democrats do not.  (Maybe my browser didn't render the page right.)

Permalink Reply by Larry Mysz on February 2, 2012 at 10:09am

Despite a strong fight from Rep. Petri & others, the pro-bike amendment to the transportation bill was defeated by two votes.

 

Details here

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on February 3, 2012 at 8:16am

Everyone in the Illinois delegation voted well (both Democrats & Republicans) except Hultgren.  Randy Hultgren's gotta go.  His was one of the two deciding down votes.  Shameful.

Permalink Reply by Eric R on February 8, 2012 at 11:48am

Below is a map one of his constituents can share with him next time this bill comes to a vote. Perhaps he is unaware there is cycling infrastructure in his district? Or he is choosing to ignore the fact. (I used Google Maps so feel free to share however you see fit.) (Sorry about the quality but you get the point, the green lines are bike lanes.)

Permalink Reply by Eric R on February 9, 2012 at 5:29am

Unless the districts changed between 2007 and now it is Hastert's old district.

Jennifer said:

Is that Hastert's old district?

Eric Roach said:

Below is a map one of his constituents can share with him next time this bill comes to a vote. Perhaps he is unaware there is cycling infrastructure in his district? Or he is choosing to ignore the fact. (I used Google Maps so feel free to share however you see fit.) (Sorry about the quality but you get the point, the green lines are bike lanes.)

RSS

Groups

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service