Hello Partners and Supporters of Biking, Walking & Trails!
Urgent Action Alert: We’ve asked the legislature to increase the Active Transportation Program, the state’s only dedicated fund for biking and walking, by $100 million. The Assembly’s proposed budget included it, while the Senate’s did not. The budget conference committee will be hammering this out over the next few days, so NOW is the time for a strong showing of support!
We have a great opportunity, because our champion for ATP funding, Assemblymember Bloom, was named to the budget conference committee! This committee starts meeting TODAY to negotiate a final compromise on California’s $12 billion transportation budget, and the chance to build more biking and walking networks in your community hangs in the balance.
Here are the members of the Budget Conference Committee:
· Senate: Leno, Lara, Hancock, Nielsen and Bates
· Assembly: Bloom, Ting, Gonzalez, Obernolte, Olsen
PLEASE ACT TODAY! Call and/or email your legislator to voice your strong support. And please forward this message to any other organizations and individuals who may be supportive!
Here’s a sample message:
Please support the Assembly budget provision for an additional $100 million for the Active Transportation Program in the final budget. This $100 million would fund hundreds of projects around the state, and it’s our best chance to build connected networks of biking and walking facilities including safe routes to school, trails and bike paths, so that everyone has the opportunity for safe, convenient, active transportation.
You can look up phone numbers for the members here (click on “Legislative Rosters”): http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts/legislators/your_legislator.html
For convenience, you can also follow this link to the California Bicycle Coalition’s action alert page to automatically send an email to all members of the Budget Conference Committee: Email the Conf Committee
But please take action now. In a couple of days, it will be too late to influence the negotiations.
Thanks,
Laura Cohen
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Laura R. Cohen, J.D.
Director, Western Region
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Historic Central Building
436 14th Street, Suite 416
Oakland, CA 94612
Office main phone: 510-992-4662; Laura’s Direct Line: 510-992-4661
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