BikePGH Message Board Archive

Take Action: Write our Senators now

Tell the Senate: Vote NO on highways-only amendments!

The Senate is voting this week to determine the shape of the economic recovery package, but some last minute amendments are shoving the plan in the wrong direction - Sen. Inhofe is suggesting an additional $50 billion slush fund for highway construction, while Sen. Bond is pushing for two amendments that would strip high-speed rail projects of all their funding and shift billions from transit to highways!

The Senate must pass a bill that helps reduce our dependence on oil and establishes accountability for taxpayers' investments - we can't afford to write a blank check that will take our country away from the clean energy future we need.

Tell your senators that our economic recovery depends on their investment in a cleaner, greener transportation system for the 21st Century.

http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/t/3224/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1018

scott

2009-02-04 17:20:17

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/us/politics/04stimulus.html?_r=1&ref=business

Amendment for $25 Billion in additional funds has failed. I would suggest developing the lines of communication now for the next version of the SAFETEA bill which should begin this summer. The current bill SAFETEA-LU, will expire in September of this year. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/legis.htm

These SAFETEA bills have been the mechanism for federal planning, policy and funding of surface transportation projects in the U.S. since the Clinton years. If we want substantive policy and funding for mass transit, rail and bicycle projects, then this is a major piece of legislation we must work for.

sloaps

2009-02-04 20:01:29

We're working on that. In fact we'll be in DC in early March lobbying our elected officials on the new federal transportation bill.

T4America is working on gathering support for an entirely new bill that gives much more money to bicycling walking and transit.

scott

2009-02-04 22:25:31

w00t! I hear that. I'm with ASCE and we're working on meeting with state reps in March to discuss policy from math and science education to monies for bridge maintenance and wastewater treatment.

sloaps

2009-02-05 03:34:04

If anyone was following the DeMint amendment to the stimulus bill, here's an update. he was trying to remove anything related to cycling from the bill. “When people see bike trails and hiking trails and golf courses, they know this is not designed to stimulate the economy and create jobs,” DeMint says.

more info: http://www.bikeleague.org/action/trashtalk

anyway, from the thunderhead alliance:

"Great news that the DeMint amendment to prohibit stimulus funds going to

bike and ped projects was unsuccessful - thank you to all of you who called

your Senators!

This also served as a good warm up for the big ask. We will be getting the

public alert for you to help spread later today. We do ask that you all

help get the word out as soon as the bill passes the Senate (expected to

happen Tuesday...but it is the Senate and politics). Again, be looking for

our alert language later today.

Thanks for your patience and preperation!"

erok

2009-02-09 17:35:24