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Good morning,
This year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds, which is less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars nationally, will be spent on bicycling and walking projects.
In 2012 that figure might be ZERO.
In the next few days, Senator Coburn (R-OK) will ask Congress to eliminate the federal Transportation Enhancements program - the primary funding source for the past 20 years for bike lanes, trails, bike racks on buses, bike education etc. This isn't safe or smart; it's not good for the economy or the environment; this is bad health policy and bad transportation policy.
Please contact South Carolina's Senators TODAY and let them know you support continued funding for biking and walking.
Even though bicycling projects create more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects and cutting Transportation Enhancements won't impact the deficit, Congressional efforts to cut bike/ped funding continue to occur.
This is especially harmful in South Carolina as we rank 49th out of 50 for bicycle safety and cannot afford to lose what little funding we have. Between 1992 and 2009, South Carolina received $105,387,334 in Transportation Enhancement funding. That may seem like a lot, but given that it was spent over 18 years and less than half of that was used for biking and walking projects (SC has the lowest rate in the nation of programming Transportation Enhancement funding for bike/ped), this elimination could be devastating.
We are asking you to contact Senators Graham and DeMint and urge them to support continued funding for biking and walking. Don't let Congress take away this vital investment program for smart, sustainable, safe transportation and recreation choices.
Thanks for your support and quick response.
Rachael Kefalos Bronson
Palmetto Cycling Coalition
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