IMBA emailed you about a month ago asking you to contact Congress to save the federal Transportation Enhancements program. Your calls had an impact and we heard from dozens of congressional offices that their phones were ringing off the hook from cyclists asking them to save federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. Now, we need you to call one more time.
On Thursday, Sept. 4, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the 2004 Transportation Appropriations bill. Currently, that bill contains language that eliminates funding for the popular Transportation Enhancements program -the largest source of federal funding for projects such as multi use paths,bike lanes and safety education efforts. The Transportation Enhancements program has helped build nearly 8,000 bike and trails projects across the country, and has been the source of more than$1.5 billion in federal funds going to bike and pedestrian projects since 1991.
Two good friends of bicycling, Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) and CongressmanJohn Olver (D-MA) will offer an amendment during debate on Thursday to restore the funding.
Please call your U.S. Representative on Tuesday, Sept. 2 or Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Ask your Representative to please support the amendment by Petri (PEE-try)and Olver to save Transportation Enhancements by striking Section 114 from HR 2989.
To find out your U.S. Representative go to http://www.house.gov and type in your zip code. The main Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121 and all member sof Congress can be reached by calling this main number. For more information visit: http://www.imba.com/news/action_alerts/07_03/07_18_call_congress.html or America Bikes at http://www.americabikes.org.
Jenn Dice, Government Affairs Director
International Mountain Bicycling Association
jenn@imba.com, 303-545-9011