BikeWalkLee sent a letter today to the Florida members of Congress who are on the conference committee for the transportation authorization bill, urging them to craft a final bill that follows the template of the Senate-passed bipartisan bill. Below are excerpts.
May
9, 2012
Dear
Senator Nelson,
BikeWalkLee is a citizen-based community coalition in Lee County,
Florida, that works to raise public awareness and advocate for complete streets
and a balanced multi-modal transportation system. We are writing to urge you, as a conferee on
the transportation bill, to fight for a
final bill that follows the template of the Senate-passed bipartisan MAP-21 legislation.
Lee
County elected officials, both at the Metropolitan Planning Organization and
Board of County Commissioners, have shown strong support for a more balanced
multi-modal transportation system and one that ensures that our roads are safe
and accessible for all road users.
BikeWalkLee, as well as our elected officials, have written you several
times in the past year about this bill, and have also written commentaries in
the local papers about the importance to our community of congressional action
on this legislation. I have attached an
excellent March 21st op ed by Lee County Commissioner, Ray Judah, outlining why
the Senate transportation bill is supported in our community.
........
Specifically,
we urge you to include provisions in the conference agreement that represent
significant reforms and were the result of a carefully crafted bipartisan
compromise in the Senate’s MAP-21 bill. These provisions have bipartisan and
bicameral support:
(1) Provide local
access to funding for community-based transportation initiatives. Members in both chambers agree that local
leaders – who know the transportation, safety, and economic development needs
of their constituents – should have more direct control over funds and projects
in their communities. MAP-21 contains provisions that will empower local
governments to program funds for projects that help revitalize main streets and
improve safety and access for everyone, whether traveling by car, transit,
bicycle, or foot. MAP-21 helps local communities build out a full
transportation network under the “Additional Activities” program by sub-allocating
funds to larger regions and offering competitive grants for others. Empowering
local communities to program their tax dollars can help renew economic
vitality, make areas more attractive for businesses, residents, and private
investment while improving health and safety for everyone.
Having
safe places to walk and bike is particularly important for Florida because our
state is the most dangerous state in the nation for pedestrian and bicyclist
fatalities. The citizens of Lee County
as well as our elected officials strongly support investments in walking and
biking facilities and providing local control over these funds needs to be
protected in conference. It is also
important to protect the "Safe Streets" policy in the Senate bill,
that will require federally funded road projects in Florida to meet federal
standards for safely accommodating all road users. We know the importance of Lee County's
complete streets policy and welcome a federal policy that complements and
enhances our local efforts.
Today's
release by America Bikes of the findings of a recent Princeton survey are a
clear message to Congress--more than 80 percent of Americans favor maintaining
or increasing federal funding for sidewalks and bike lanes. The results show that Republicans, Democrats,
residents in every region of the country, and every age group strongly support
these investments. Americans want safe
places to bike and walk and the bill coming out of this conference needs to
respond to the desires of American citizens.
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