FW: T4America
John Flaherty
To my NuPTA/CTC allies:
The T4A coalition has prepared the attached letter intended for members of the Senate committees on Commerce, Science & Transportation as well as Environment & Public Works (EPW). See below. Since Sen. Whitehouse sits on EPW, I thought it would be worthwhile for others in our coalition to lend their names individually to the letter. They have asked that I forward this to other interested groups.
I’d encourage you to confirm with John Krieger at PIRG (below) if you can lend your name.
*The deadline to sign on is COB this Friday, May 29th*
John
From: Eryn Rosenblum
[mailto:eryn.ro...@t4america.org]
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009
10:20 AM
To: John Flaherty
Subject: Re: T4America
Hi John,
Thank you for sending this over! Don't worry about the delay. We're
glad to have you on board, and as the point-person for Rhode Island, I look forward to working with
you on transportation reform statewide and at the national level.
I also want to send you our major ask for this (short) week: a partner sign-on
letter in support of a national transportation objectives bill.
Senators Rockefeller and Lautenberg just released a bill in the Senate
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, called the Federal
Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009. This bill is
groundbreaking, not only because it's the first marker bill to come out for the
upcoming transportation authorization, but because it proposes setting the kind
of performance targets and goals that we recommended in our Blueprint policy
proposal (t4america.org/blueprint).
Jon Krieger at PIRG is circulating a sign-on letter to be sent to Senators on
the Commerce committee, as well as those on the Environment & Public Works
committee, and we are asking organizations, individuals, elected officials, and
other groups to sign on and show their support for the idea of setting national
transportation objectives. (Note: Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
is on EPW.) The text of the letter is below and also attached. If
you would like to sign onto the letter, please contact Jon at jkri...@pirg.org.
*The deadline to sign on is COB this Friday, May 29th.*
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns, or to pass
this along to other groups or individuals who may be interested. Thank
you in advance for your help!
Sincerely,
Eryn Rosenblum
---
May 18, 2009
United States
Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator,
The undersigned organizations write to request your support for the Federal
Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009, introduced by Senators
Rockefeller and Lautenberg. This legislation sets a bold new vision for
federal transportation policy in order to address the current and future needs
of our economy, energy, environment and health. The measure establishes a
unifying mission for the federal surface transportation program and sets needed
and achievable performance targets, including goals to increase system safety,
to repair and maintain existing assets, and to reduce congestion and carbon
emissions through increased use of transit, rail, marine, and non-motorized
transportation. These performance targets should be effectively integrated into
the federal transportation planning process as part of the next transportation
bill.
The following goals, which are enumerated in the Federal Transportation Policy
and Planning Act of 2009, are important benchmarks for future transportation
policy:
- Reduce national per capita motor vehicle miles traveled on an annual
basis
- Reduce national motor vehicle-related fatalities by 50 percent by 2030
- Reduce national surface transportation-generated carbon dioxide levels
by
40 percent by 2030
- Reduce national surface transportation delays per capita on an annual
basis
- Increase the percentage of system-critical surface transportation
assets that
are in a state of good repair by 20 percent by 2030
- Increase the total usage of public transportation, intercity passenger
rail
services, and non-motorized transportation on an annual basis
- Increase the proportion of national freight transportation provided by
non-
highway or multimodal services by 10 percent by 2020
- Reduce passenger and freight transportation delays and congestion
at
international points of entry on an annual basis.
America
needs a new transportation future based on national priorities that enhances
our economy, environment, and quality of life. We respectfully ask you to
co-sponsor the Federal Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009.
Thank you,
---
On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 11:05 AM, John Flaherty <jfla...@growsmartri.com> wrote:
Eryn,
Sorry for the delay – here’s our completed Partnership Agreement.
Best,
John
John A. Flaherty
Director of Research & Communications
235 Promenade Street, #550
Providence, RI 02908
Fax 228.6594
About Grow Smart
Grow Smart Rhode Island is a diverse non-profit alliance of community leaders from the business, labor, academic, environmental, housing, development and other sectors promoting sustainable and prosperous growth and development. In its nine years of existence, the organization has championed a number of incentives and tools to steer future growth to revitalized urban, town and village centers and to reduce development pressures on farms, forestland and the environmentally fragile areas of our coastline. Grow Smart Rhode Island's work has been honored with awards from the U.S. EPA, the RI Chapter of the American Planning Association, Rhode Island Housing, Preserve Rhode Island, the Providence Preservation Society and the Environmental Business Council of New England. Get our free monthly e-newsletter HERE.
From: Eryn Rosenblum [mailto:eryn.ro...@t4america.org]
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 12:01
PM
To: John Flaherty; sw...@growsmartri.com
Cc: Ilana Preuss; Natalie Robles;
Peter Scherer
Subject: Re: T4America
Hi John and Scott,
I am thrilled to hear that Grow Smart Rhode Island has joined the T4 America
Campaign! I'm the point-person on the outreach team for the state of Rhode Island, and I look
forward to speaking with you soon to discuss the objectives and potential
activities of the campaign there.
I've attached our official Partnership Agreement form. Please fill this
out and return it to either myself or Natalie Robles (natalie...@t4america.org)
at your earliest convenience.
Thank you, and welcome on board!
Sincerely,
Eryn Rosenblum
On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 4:09 PM, Ilana Preuss <ilana....@t4america.org> wrote:
John,
I am sorry that you won't be able to come in for the meeting. Skype sounds like a great idea, but I don't think we will be able to pull it off that quickly. It is something we don't have any experience with - yet. But a good thing to work on.
We have a hotel room space available for Sunday night, if you want to come in for just the Monday part of the meeting. If you can find a low cost transport, I can see if we can cover it.
But either way - I would like to schedule a time to talk about all your work - do you have time on the 21st to talk?
ILANA
****OUR ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER CHANGED****
ILANA PREUSS
Outreach and Field Director
Transportation for America Campaign
1707 L Street, NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-955-5543 x223
Join the campaign at www.t4america.org!
On May 11, 2009, at 3:32 PM, John Flaherty wrote:
Ilana,
Thanks for sending along the T4A Outreach Leaders Meeting agenda. I have discussed with Scott. We’re very interested, but are not in a financial position to attend - unfortunately.
Scott may have mentioned that Grow Smart has been co-chairing a pro-transit coalition called the New Public Transit Alliance that has been promoting a statewide agenda to strengthen and enhance Rhode Island’s public transit system. The movement has gained significant momentum and will shortly be morphing into a broader coalition of organizations known as the Coalition for Transportation Choices. I’m also the point person representing Grow Smart on the New England Regional Rail Coalition (background attached).
Finally, for those who cannot attend …. I’m wondering if you think it’s practical to participate – even for part of the work session – via Skype. I realize this may be too cumbersome, but it’s free and may be worth experimenting. I’ve never used it to participate in a meeting, but I’ve heard about others who have used it. Just a thought.
Thanks again and I look forward to helping implement the T4A campaign in Rhode Island.
Best,
John
<image001.jpg>
John A. Flaherty
Director of Research & Communications
235 Promenade Street, #550
Providence, RI 02908
Fax 228.6594
About Grow Smart
Grow Smart Rhode Island is a diverse non-profit alliance of community leaders from the business, labor, academic, environmental, housing, development and other sectors promoting sustainable and prosperous growth and development. In its nine years of existence, the organization has championed a number of incentives and tools to steer future growth to revitalized urban, town and village centers and to reduce development pressures on farms, forestland and the environmentally fragile areas of our coastline. Grow Smart Rhode Island's work has been honored with awards from the U.S. EPA, the RI Chapter of the American Planning Association, Rhode Island Housing, Preserve Rhode Island, the Providence Preservation Society and the Environmental Business Council of New England. Get our free monthly e-newsletter HERE.
From: Ilana Preuss [mailto:ilana....@t4america.org]
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009
1:21 PM
To: sw...@growsmartri.com
Cc: eryn.ro...@t4america.org;
'John Flaherty'; john.f...@cox.net; sbr...@growsmartri.com
Subject: Re: T4America
I am attaching the draft agenda. All final information will go out on Thursday.
I am tapped out on travel costs, but I might have a hotel room for you.
Let me know what you need to make it.
ILANA
<NERRC outreach_8 (1April09).pdf><NERRC letter re economic stimulus_final.pdf>
--
******
Eryn Rosenblum
Outreach Fellow
Transportation for America
1707 L St. NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 955-5543, x211
eryn.ro...@t4america.org
******
--
******
Eryn Rosenblum
Outreach Fellow
Transportation for America
1707 L St. NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 955-5543, x211
eryn.ro...@t4america.org
******
james celenza
--
James Celenza
RICommittee on Occupational Safety & Health
751-2015
jasce...@gmail.com
John Flaherty
We’re not submitting a stand-alone letter – just “signing-on” to the one attached. It’s better to have more individual groups.
John
John A. Flaherty
Director of Research & Communications
235 Promenade Street, #550
Providence, RI 02908
Fax 228.6594