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
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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