Crossing the street shouldn't mean crossing your fingers. Sadly, every two hours a pedestrian is killed because of unsafe streets-streets built with federal transportation funds, but not necessarily designed and built with all users in mind.

The Safe Streets Act will ensure that state transportation agencies and the communities they serve use proven design elements to improve the safety of all roadway users, including people driving cars, walking, biking and taking public transit. While the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reported a two percent decrease in roadway fatalities between 2010 and 2011, the number of pedestrian deaths increased by three percent and bicyclist deaths by nine percent over the same period. Of the more than 47,000, pedestrian fatalities from 2000 to 2009, 67 percent occurred on federal-aid roadways.

Safer streets aren't just an issue for urban areas. Residents of small towns are more likely to be injured or killed on the transportation system than residents of urban areas. In 2011, 55 percent of all traffic fatalities, including fatalities among motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, occurred in rural areas. Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 14 percent of all deaths on America's roadways in 2011. We can do better. [S. 2004 / H.R. 2468] shows us how.

Although Congress has passed tough robust measures related to vehicle design, one-third of

Americans do not drive. This one-third largely includes older adults, children, and people with disabilities, along with those people waiting for public transit, riding bicycles, and crossing the street once they park their cars.

[S. 2004 / H.R. 2468] does not authorize new funding. Nor does it require that transportation agencies use a particular roadway design-or tell highway engineers how to build individual projects. It simply calls upon USDOT, state transportation agencies, and metropolitan planning organizations using federal transportation funds to adopt a policy that ensures the safety of all expected roadway users is considered when building new or substantially rebuilding existing non- Interstate facilities. By considering all users and unique roadway context at the beginning of a project, these policies avoid costly project delays and expensive retrofits.

The National Complete Streets Coalition and its allies urge you to co-sponsor this [bipartisan] roadway safety bill. The diverse support for [S. 2004 / H.R. 2468] reflects the variety of benefits that a multimodal approach affords communities and individuals: promoting safety for all users; providing opportunities for healthy, active living and increased travel choices; supporting prosperity in local economies; and reducing household transportation costs for American families.

[S. 2004 / H.R. 2468] won't fix our roadway safety problems overnight. Over time, however, roadways will begin to be designed and built more safely.

Please become a co-sponsor of [S. 2004 / H.R. 2468] today by contacting [Stef Claus, Office of Senator Mark Begich at (202) 224-9546 or stef_claus@begich.senate.gov; or Georgia Gann, Office of Senator Brian Schatz at (202) 224-3934 or georgia_gann@schatz.senate.gov. / John Miceli in Representative David Joyce's office (202.225.5731) or Jill Harrelson in Representative Doris Matsui's office (202.225.7163)]

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Undersigned organizations]