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Its your choice!
 
We can have this... 
Safe Routes to School



Or, this...

Traffic Congestion

 

Action Alert   

This Is As Urgent As It Gets!

Tell Congress, we need safe and active transportation...

 

  

Urgent: Call Congress TODAY!  

 

Dear Friends, 

 

We need you to call your Congressman, today.  Not tomorrow.  Right now.  This is as urgent as it gets!  Can you please help?

 

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives released its transportation bill, which is known as the "American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act."  We expected the bill to be bad news for biking, walking, and safe routes to school.  But we didn't think it would go so far as to reverse all progress that has been made over the past 20 years.  

 

A critical vote will be happening *TODAY* in the House of Representatives.  If you care about obesity prevention, Safe Routes to School programs, and safe and active transportation, please, pick up the phone and call your Congressman before it's too late! 

 

Step 1:   Identify your Representative by visiting:

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find

  

Step 2:   Click here for the number to dial.

(http://www.preventobesityil.org/f/US_House.pdf)

 

Step 3:   Pick up the phone and make a quick call.
 

The entire process will take only five minutes... but, failure to act right now could set us back 20 years!

  

Primary Talking Point: To make this process as easy as possible, consider using the bullet point below as your primary talking point:

  • I want my Congressman to speak with House colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.  Urge them to 'VOTE YES ON THE PETRI / JOHNSON AMENDMENT' to preserve dedicated funding for biking and walking in the transportation bill.

Additional Talking Points: 

  • The current version of the transportation bill reverses 20 years of progress by: (1) repealing the Safe Routes to School programs that create safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school, (2) allowing states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles, (3) eliminating coordinators for safe routes to school and bicycle and pedestrian transportation in state DOTs, and (4) destroying all mandatory transportation enhancements.
  • Biking and walking make up 12% of all trips.  Yet, biking and walking projects receive less than 1.5% of federal transportation dollars.
  • Two-thirds of pedestrian deaths take place on roads built with federal funding.  Ensuring funds for sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways make roads safer for everyone and prevent unnecessary deaths.
  • Again, please tell my congressman to speak with colleagues TODAY to let them know this is an important issue to constituents.  I also ask that when the bill comes to the House floor that you vote YES to preserve funding for bicycling and walking in the bill.    

When you're done with your phone call, please forward this message to your family and friends, by clicking the link below.

 

  

 

Warm Regards,

 

EB signatureElissa's Pic

Elissa Bassler

Exec. Dir, Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity

CEO, Illinois Public Health Institute

954 W Washington Blvd

Suite 405 / Mailbox 10

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 850-4744

Elissa.Bassler@iphionline.org 



About the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity
 
The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO) is a statewide coalition comprised of stakeholders working for a state-level response to the obesity epidemic. IAPO works to shape and advance solutions to reverse dangerous obesity trends.
IAPO supporters believe that Illinois must respond to the obesity epidemic by developing coordinated systems, policy improvements and investment on the scale of the problem.  This initiative was launched and is coordinated by the Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI). 
 

With input from stakeholders throughout Illinois, IAPO developed the State Obesity Action Roadmap and our corresponding 3-Year Roadmap Goals to guide Illinois on a healthier path through changes in the way we work, play, learn, eat and live.
 

To learn more about IAPO, visit www.preventobesityil.org

Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity

Convened by the Illinois Public Health Institute   

954 W Washington Blvd

Suite 405 / Mailbox 10

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 850-4744 voice

(312) 850-4040 fax