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ACTION ALERT: KEEP TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT MONEY IN THE STIMULUS
BILL!

The following action alert is from the America Bikes Coalition, which
includes the League of American Bicyclists, the Thunderhead Alliance
for Biking and Walking, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the Adventure
Cycling Association, IMBA, and others.

To take action, click on the link below under "CALL TODAY!"

Thank you for your immediate attention and support,

Allen Muchnick, president
Virginia Bicycling Federation
PO Box 5621, Arlington VA 22205-5621
muchnick@capaccess.org
703-271-0895
http://vabike.org

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Calling All Bicyclists and Pedestrians!  Please Take Action Today!

Thanks to calls from bicycle and pedestrian advocates like you, the
Senate refused to hear an amendment that would have blocked any
Economic Recovery ("Stimulus") Bill money from being spent on biking
and walking infrastructure projects.  Now we need EVERYONE’S HELP to
make certain that there is strong support for Transportation
Enhancements $ for biking and walking in the final bill!

Support Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects in the Economic Recovery Bill

The House and the Senate have each passed their own version of the
Economic Recovery Bill, aimed at creating jobs and stimulating the
economy.  Both bills include billions for transportation
infrastructure, but only the House bill includes funding for bicycle
and pedestrian projects in the Transportation Enhancements program.

The House bill includes approximately $1.35 billion for Transportation
Enhancements of which 50-60% is traditionally spent on bicycle and
pedestrian projects. The Senate bill does not explicitly include
Transportation Enhancements, so it’s unclear whether this funding will
be in the final bill.

We need to make sure Transportation Enhancement funding is in the
final bill.

This week there will be a conference committee where several members
of the House and several members of the Senate will work together to
reconcile the two bills.  The conferees (none are Virginians) need to
hear from your senators and representative that Transportation
Enhancements are important to stimulating the economy, creating green
jobs, and moving us towards a sustainable future.

CALL TODAY!
[ http://capwiz.com/lab/callalert/index.tt?alertid=12647931 ]

Please call your senators and representative and ask them to tell the
Conferees to support Transportation Enhancements in the Economic
Recovery bill. Tell them:

* Bicycle and pedestrian projects create jobs at the same or better
rate than highway projects.

* These smaller projects can move quickly to hire local businesses and
help local economies.

* Providing safe and convenient bicycle and pedestrian access gives
families healthier and cheaper transportation options

* Improving sidewalks and bike lanes can make a downtown a destination
further helping the local economy.

* Better biking and walking options also help ensure greater energy
independence, less pollution, and a healthier United States!

Please share this email alert with all bicyclists and pedestrians you
can, and encourage them to join you in supporting biking and walking
today!  Thank you--together we will make a big difference!