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ACTION ALERT -- Transportation Enhancements under attack
From Rich Olken, of Bikes Belong, via Mike Matzuk (Eastcoasters Bike Shops):
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: ACTION ALERT - HIGHEST PRIORITY: Enhancements Under Attack Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 22:17:12 -0400 From: Richard Olken To: (Recipient list suppressed) Dear Friends, We are getting down to the wire, and all our gains for bicycling are again under attack. Please take action IMMEDIATELY to assure that we can weather this attack on the future of bicycling. Thanks! Rich Olken Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 18:52:55 -0700 From: "Rich Olken" Subject: Enhancements Under Attack New Attack on Enhancements: DEFEAT THE SESSIONS AMENDMENT May 13, 2005 - As the Senate continued debate Thursday night on the reauthorization of the nation's surface transportation legislation, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) launched a surprise attack on Transportation Enhancements. Sen. Sessions filed an amendment (Number 646) to cut the overall bill by $10.7 billion, and he proposes to accomplish this by outrageous cuts into some of the programs we care about most, including a $1.1 billion cut in Transportation Enhancements (TE) and a $4 billion reduction in the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement program (CMAQ). Rather than seek cuts in the meat of the bill -- highway spending -- he is attacking the small, efficient programs which bring great benefits to the country and which communities across America highly value. A vote on this amendment could happen as soon as Monday evening! Background Transportation Enhancements (TE) is a popular, community-based program which is the largest source of funding for trails and sidewalks. Since the program's inception in 1991, TE has resulted in more than 18,000 small-scale, locally-initiated projects that promote transportation alternatives, health, safety, economic development and community pride. The amendment introduced by Sen. Sessions would gut TE funding and place thousands of projects - Rails-to-Trails Conservancy estimates more than 3,000 projects across the country -- at risk. CMAQ provides funding to areas where federal air quality standards are not being met. Local communities use these funds on projects that will improve air quality, which can include building trails to provide transportation options. A $4 billion cut would cripple this important environmental program. What You Can Do We contact you only when we need your help, and we need it now. Please help fend off this sudden attack. Call or send an e-mail message on Monday, May 16 to your U.S. senator. In your communication, please ask your senator to protect Enhancements and CMAQ, and vote "NO" on "Sessions Amendment 646" to the surface transportation bill. Contact List To contact your senator by e-mail, visit http://www.senate.gov/ and then go to your Senator's individual Web site to find contact information. Richard Olken Phone: 617-482-9995 Mobile: 617-426-0001 Email: Richard Olken Phone: 617-482-9995 Mobile: 617-426-0001 Email: -- Mike Matzuk East Coasters Bike Shops Blacksburg & Roanoke, Va. Phone: (540) 951-7433 Visit us @ eastcoasters.com Trek Outstanding Achievement Award Winner Trek - LeMond - Fisher - Serotta NBDA BBC YaYa! FOPP FOH IMBA LAB |
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According to Matt O'Toole :
From Rich Olken, of Bikes Belong, via Mike Matzuk (Eastcoasters Bike Shops): Transportation Enhancements (TE) is a popular, community-based program which is the largest source of funding for trails and sidewalks. Since the program's inception in 1991, TE has resulted in more than 18,000 small-scale, locally-initiated projects that promote transportation alternatives, health, safety, economic development and community pride. The amendment introduced by Sen. Sessions would gut TE funding and place thousands of projects - Rails-to-Trails Conservancy estimates more than 3,000 projects across the country -- at risk. Bah. Bikes Belong is an industry trade group that pushes for trails to increase bike sales. So much of this is about rehabilitating abandoned rights-of-way as multiuse paths on which to dangerously mingle cyclists and dogwalkers. These paths aren't about air quality, they're about pork. The closest to me is the LA River path. It's closed after dark and when it rains. Now that the thing is built and the money has been spread around, the city has no interest in taking care of it. They're currently arguing in a lawsuit that they are under no obligation to maintain it to the standards of a California Class I bike facility. The path users are complaining that there isn't enough parking. Obviously, this isn't about air quality. I wish that the bike industry would spend its marketing money on marketing instead of buying off democracy with porkbarrel garbage. Sadly, throwing money around in Washington has a much better ROI. As an actual cyclist who uses the roads to go to actual destinations, I can't imagine how these obnoxious projects help me. Our interests are not the same as those of the bike companies. --- Lars Lehtonen |
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