Three Bicycling Action Alerts!
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John Lindenmayer
Apr 22, 2011, 12:21:45 PM4/22/11
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Cycling Friends,
This has been a busy week for us at LMB. We posted three separate action alerts on our website. I am sending along this message to make sure everybody is aware of the various issues we are asking you to take action on. We normally would not send out so many requests for action in such a short time period, but all of these important time sensitive issues popped up this week.
We have partnered with the League of American Bicyclists on these alerts, so by putting in your zip code, an editable pre drafted letter to the appropriate recipients will pull up – couldn’t be easier! We thank you in advance for taking a couple minutes (that’s really all it takes) to make sure the voice of Michigan’s cycling/non-motorized community is heard on these important matters.
My apologies for any duplicate cross postings that you may receive and please share this message with your local networks.
1. ACTION ALERT – Michigan Bicycle Funding Could be in Jeopardy
Contact Governor Snyder Today!
Michigan may be considering cutting millions in bicycle and pedestrian funding due to rescissions of unspent federal transportation funds.
In the latest federal budget deal between the Republicans and Democrats, the two parties agreed to rescind, or cancel, $2.5 billion in unspent federal transportation funds.
The USDOT tells states how much money they have to give back – but the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) decides which unspent funds they will send back first. Historically, some of the strongest programs for bicycle and pedestrian projects – Transportation Enhancements (TE), Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality (CMAQ) and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) – suffer dramatically higher rescission rates than other programs. This holds true in Michigan. According to an analysis by the League of American Bicyclists, Michigan rescinded $59,689,106 in TE, CMAQ and RTP funding. Combined, funding from all three of these programs made up 100% of Michigan's recent rescission.
READ MORE / CONTACT GOVERNOR SNYDER:
<http://www.lmb.org/index.php/Blog/action-alert-michigan-bicycle-funding-could-be-in-jeopardy.html>
2. ACTION ALERT – Protect Public Transit Funding and Complete Streets
Contact your Representative Today!
As we reported last week on the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition blog, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation voted against the Governor’s funding recommendation for fiscal year 2012 by reducing public transportation funding by up to 10 percent.
Additionally, important complete streets boilerplate language was stripped from the House version of the transportation funding bill. This language gave transportation enhancement preference to communities with complete streets policies. This important incentive has helped to encourage at least 24 communities in Michigan to adopt complete streets policies this past year, for a total of 40 across the state - the most in the nation.
READ MORE / CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:
<http://www.lmb.org/index.php/Blog/action-alert-protect-public-transit-funding-and-complete-streets.html>
3. ACTION ALERT – AASHTO Wants to Weaken US DOT Bicycle Accommodation Policy
Contact MDOT!
Last week, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a letter and supplemental document, which asked the US Department of Transportation to weaken their guidance on accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians. The supplemental document, submitted as part of a formal review of regulations, asks that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to withdraw their guidance on the meaning of “due consideration” of bicyclists and pedestrians to make it easier for states to ignore the needs of non-motorized travelers. AASHTO prefers the weaker “consider where appropriate” to allow states to avoid having to justify failure to accommodate bicycling and walking.
Please take a minute to thank the Michigan Department of Transportation for their continued leadership in helping to make Michigan roads safe for all users, including bicyclists, and encourage MDOT Director Kirk Steudle to contact AASHTO President Susan Martinovich, to let her know that Michigan bicyclists disagree with this recommendation.
READ MORE / CONTACT MDOT:
http://www.lmb.org/index.php/Blog/aashto-wants-to-weaken-us-dot-bicycle-accommodation-policy.html
Again, we thank you in advance for taking action on these important issues.
--
John Lindenmayer
Associate Director
League of Michigan Bicyclists
(517) 334-9100
416 S. Cedar St, Suite A
Lansing, MI 48912
www.LMB.org
Facebook: http://facebook.com/LeagueofMichiganBicyclists
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mibicyclists
MI Bicycle Advocacy Day: May 25
This has been a busy week for us at LMB. We posted three separate action alerts on our website. I am sending along this message to make sure everybody is aware of the various issues we are asking you to take action on. We normally would not send out so many requests for action in such a short time period, but all of these important time sensitive issues popped up this week.
We have partnered with the League of American Bicyclists on these alerts, so by putting in your zip code, an editable pre drafted letter to the appropriate recipients will pull up – couldn’t be easier! We thank you in advance for taking a couple minutes (that’s really all it takes) to make sure the voice of Michigan’s cycling/non-motorized community is heard on these important matters.
My apologies for any duplicate cross postings that you may receive and please share this message with your local networks.
1. ACTION ALERT – Michigan Bicycle Funding Could be in Jeopardy
Contact Governor Snyder Today!
Michigan may be considering cutting millions in bicycle and pedestrian funding due to rescissions of unspent federal transportation funds.
In the latest federal budget deal between the Republicans and Democrats, the two parties agreed to rescind, or cancel, $2.5 billion in unspent federal transportation funds.
The USDOT tells states how much money they have to give back – but the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) decides which unspent funds they will send back first. Historically, some of the strongest programs for bicycle and pedestrian projects – Transportation Enhancements (TE), Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality (CMAQ) and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) – suffer dramatically higher rescission rates than other programs. This holds true in Michigan. According to an analysis by the League of American Bicyclists, Michigan rescinded $59,689,106 in TE, CMAQ and RTP funding. Combined, funding from all three of these programs made up 100% of Michigan's recent rescission.
READ MORE / CONTACT GOVERNOR SNYDER:
<http://www.lmb.org/index.php/Blog/action-alert-michigan-bicycle-funding-could-be-in-jeopardy.html>
2. ACTION ALERT – Protect Public Transit Funding and Complete Streets
Contact your Representative Today!
As we reported last week on the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition blog, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation voted against the Governor’s funding recommendation for fiscal year 2012 by reducing public transportation funding by up to 10 percent.
Additionally, important complete streets boilerplate language was stripped from the House version of the transportation funding bill. This language gave transportation enhancement preference to communities with complete streets policies. This important incentive has helped to encourage at least 24 communities in Michigan to adopt complete streets policies this past year, for a total of 40 across the state - the most in the nation.
READ MORE / CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:
<http://www.lmb.org/index.php/Blog/action-alert-protect-public-transit-funding-and-complete-streets.html>
3. ACTION ALERT – AASHTO Wants to Weaken US DOT Bicycle Accommodation Policy
Contact MDOT!
Last week, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a letter and supplemental document, which asked the US Department of Transportation to weaken their guidance on accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians. The supplemental document, submitted as part of a formal review of regulations, asks that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to withdraw their guidance on the meaning of “due consideration” of bicyclists and pedestrians to make it easier for states to ignore the needs of non-motorized travelers. AASHTO prefers the weaker “consider where appropriate” to allow states to avoid having to justify failure to accommodate bicycling and walking.
Please take a minute to thank the Michigan Department of Transportation for their continued leadership in helping to make Michigan roads safe for all users, including bicyclists, and encourage MDOT Director Kirk Steudle to contact AASHTO President Susan Martinovich, to let her know that Michigan bicyclists disagree with this recommendation.
READ MORE / CONTACT MDOT:
http://www.lmb.org/index.php/Blog/aashto-wants-to-weaken-us-dot-bicycle-accommodation-policy.html
Again, we thank you in advance for taking action on these important issues.
--
John Lindenmayer
Associate Director
League of Michigan Bicyclists
(517) 334-9100
416 S. Cedar St, Suite A
Lansing, MI 48912
www.LMB.org
Facebook: http://facebook.com/LeagueofMichiganBicyclists
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mibicyclists
MI Bicycle Advocacy Day: May 25
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