Another couple of bills that need our support

[Jeff Youngstrom]

Hi Gang,

Here at the end of the legislative session, things get kind of hectic. Please see the email below for information on two bills in Olympia that would "provide millions of dollars in funding for Washington's Safe Routes to School program, which funds improvements that get more children bicycling and walking to school safely. These bills would also fund the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety program, which improves locations across the state with some of the highest rates of bicycle and pedestrian traffic fatalities and serious injuries."

The link in the email below will let you express your support for these bills.

BTW, thank you to everyone who responded to my appeal last week. Unfortunately the Safe Neighborhood Speeds bill was not brought to a vote. Hopefully these two bills will reach a better fate!

Thanks for all you do!

Jeff

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Craig Benjamin, Cascade Bicycle Club <orga...@cascadebicycleclub.org>
Date: Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 4:50 PM
Subject: So close, yet so far away

Dear Jeff, I don’t believe it. The Senate was so close to passing two bills that would provide more than half a penny for bicycling. But now, funding for bicycling is at risk. We’ve come a long way in the past few months. It feels like a lifetime ago when we asked you to tell your legislators to give bicycle and pedestrian safety projects more than half a penny of funding1. It’s hard to remember that only a few months ago Governor Gregoire proposed a $3.6 billion transportation package that contained no money for bicycling2. Thousands of emails from people like you changed things, fast. Just this weekend the House passed two bills – SB 64553 and SB 65824 – that would provide significant funding for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. The Senate already passed both of these bills, so all they needed to do was concur and they would have become law. But moments ago, the Senate voted not to concur.   Now, a few members from both the House and the Senate will confer to hammer out their differences on these bills before both chambers vote on their final outcome. That's why we need you to write your legislators right now and tell them to protect bicycle funding by supporting SB 6455 and SB 6582 as-is. Click here to tell your legislators to protect funding for bicycling >> SB 6455 and SB 6582 would provide millions of dollars in funding for Washington's Safe Routes to School program, which funds improvements that get more children bicycling and walking to school safely. These bills would also fund the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety program, which improves locations across the state with some of the highest rates of bicycle and pedestrian traffic fatalities and serious injuries. This is real funding that will make a real difference toward providing everyone with the freedom to safely bike to get where they need to go. We can’t afford to miss this opportunity. You have helped us get this far. Let’s carry real funding for bicycle projects over the finish line together. Click here to tell your legislators to protect funding for bicycling >> Thank you for everything that you do, Craig M. Benjamin Policy and Government Affairs Manager Cascade Bicycle Club 1http://bit.ly/A31xPp 2http://bit.ly/y5zePk 3http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6455&year=2011 4http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6582&year=2011 Members make our work possible. Not a member? Join today! © 2012 Cascade Bicycle Club | Manage your subscription options