You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Action Alert’ tag.
Just posting a friendly reminder as a follow-up on our post from last week regarding tomorrow’s Virtual Lobby Day in support of the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R.4722. Tomorrow the League of Michigan Bicyclists is leading a delegation of 13 Michigan cycling advocates to lobby for Complete Streets and more funding and federal support for bicycling in Michigan. We have a full day of meetings scheduled with Michigan Congresspeople and are asking you to back up our face to face efforts with phone calls from back home. Specifically, please help us generate support for H.R. 4722 (Act Act).
Learn more about the ACT Act here.
Download Issue Paper on ACT Act (and Complete Streets Bill) here.
TAKE ACTION
For those Michigan complete streets advocates not attending the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, please participate in the Virtual Lobby Day on Thursday March 11. In conjunction with the National Bike Summit we ask that you call your representative at the same time that over 700 Summit participants will have in-person meetings in congressional offices. The combination of face to face and phone communications in support of this bill will demonstrate a strong and unified Michigan voice next week on Capitol Hill. The Virtual Lobby Day is being organized by our cycling friends at America Bikes.
We encourage you to use the talking points below to send your own alert encouraging your members to participate.
TALKING POINTS
Please call your representatives on March 11th to ask them to co-sponsor H.R.4722: “The Active Community Transportation Act.” Tell them:
- Bicycling and walking are part of the solution. Half of all trips in the United States are three miles or less, yet the majority of these short trips are made by car. Shifting more of these short trips to biking and walking would not only reduce congestion, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and our dependence on oil, but will also improve physical activity, safety, and livability.
- Investing in bicycling and walking infrastructure works. Commuting by bicycle has increased 43 percent since 2000 - and by 69 percent in designated Bicycle Friendly Communities that have invested in infrastructure improvements.
- Please co-sponsor the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R.4722).
Here are the phone numbers for all the Michigan Congress people:
- Senator Carl Levin (D- MI) 202-224-6221
- Senator Debbie Stabenow (D- MI) 202-224-4822
- Representative Bart Stupak (D - 01) 202-225-4735
- Representative Pete Hoekstra (R - 02) 202-225-4401
- Representative Vern Ehlers (R - 03) 202-225-3831
- Representative Dave Camp (R - 04) 202-225-3561
- Representative Dale E. Kildee (D - 05) 202-225-3611
- Representative Fred Upton (R - 06) 202-225-3761
- Representative Mark Schauer (D - 07) 202-225-6276
- Representative Mike Rogers (R - 08) 202-225-4872
- Representative Gary Peters (D - 09) 202-225-5802
- Representative Candice Miller (R - 10) 202-225-2106
- Representative Thaddeus McCotter (R - 11) 202-225-8171
- Representative Sandy Levin (D - 12) 202-225-4961
- Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick (D - 13) 202-225-2261
- Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D - 14) 202-225-5126
- Representative John D. Dingell (D - 15) 202-225-4071
Don’t know who your Congressperson is? Visit http://capwiz.com/lab/home/ and enter your address to find out.
Representative Earl Blumenauer just introduced the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R.4722. This groundbreaking bill creates a competitive grant program with $2 billion to help communities build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities would be able to compete for multi-year funding to build active transportation systems, just as they do for transit and road infrastructure.
“Too often we take for granted the value of being able to bike and walk to work,” said Blumenauer. “It’s unfortunate that many communities don’t have the infrastructure in place to make active and healthy forms of transportation more accessible. The ACT transportation grants will make it easier for people to get out of their vehicles and onto sidewalks or bikes, boosting both heart rates and community vitality.”
Oakland County residents, please take note. This petition was posted on LMB’s Facebook page this morning. Yet another great example of effective grassroots organizing and the need for comprehensive Complete Streets policies in Michigan.
Keep Our Kids Safe - Support Square Lake Road Bike Path
Sign petition here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/finish-square-lake-to-opdyke-bike-path.html
This is a dangerous stretch of road that has no bike path or sidewalk, near the I-75 ramps.
Target: Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services
Background: The Bloomfield Hills Surf Club was established in 1962 as a private community swim club serving dozens of surrounding communities. In 1966, the I-75 business loop cut through these communities leaving the Surf Club isolated from those communities.
With the population growth in the area over the past 40 years, it is impossible for children to get to and from the Surf Club and the surrounding neighborhoods safely without the use of a motor vehicle. Surrounding the area are numerous bike and pedestrian paths, but none that allow for the safe passage across the 6 lane, I-75 feeder section of Square Lake Road. In addition, the surrounding communities have no access to newer paths connecting to the larger Clinton River Trail and Oakland County trail system.
Without pedestrian access to this area, the community immediately surrounding the Surf Club has no safe access to the Oakland County trail system, and The Surf Club is inaccessible to families that would like to safely visit without the use of a motor vehicle.
Sign the Square Lake Woodward to Opdyke extension Petition -
Online petition - Keep Our Kids Safe - Support Square Lake Road Bike Path
The Community Policy Action Team of the Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan Coalition needs your help to support the adoption of a Complete Streets Resolution. The resolution encourages communities and road agencies to consider infrastructure as active infrastructure as a way to create more walkable, bikeable places where children and families can be physically active.
We are asking organizations and their individual members and/or associates to answer the call. Organization leaders are asked to forward the materials below to their members and/or associates inviting them to take action. Show support for this effort by sending your legislators a letter urging them to adopt Michigan House Concurrent Resolution 34.
For your convenience, a sample letter is below. It can also be downloaded here as a Word Document. Links to the resolution and a Complete Streets fact sheet are also below for your information. Please use your discretion whether you want to include a copy of the resolution and/or fact sheet when sending the letter of support. Letters can be sent electronically or mailed to representatives and senators at the following addresses: Read the rest of this entry »
Action alert!
Your input is critical at this time, especially if you live within the Traverse City city limits! The Traverse City Commission is having a study session on Monday February 8, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Governmental Center (400 Boardman Ave) to discuss current plans to rebuild 8th Street between Garfield and Barlow. The current plan as designed does not accommodate safe provisions for bicycles.
The Michigan Complete Streets Coalition and our local ally TART believe strongly that now is the time to redesign the 8th Street corridor with the Complete Street concept in mind, which means streets are designed to have room for all users (autos, bus, bike and pedestrian). There may be an opportunity to change the roadway to incorporate dedicated bike lanes along the corridor.
If we do not ask for bike lanes to be added at this time, we could be missing an opportunity to make Traverse City an even more Bicycle Friendly Community. It could be many decades before 8th Street is completely reconstructed again. Please attend the meeting or contact the City Commissioners directly by phone or email. You may find their contact information here.
We hope you will heed this call to action!
Learn more about the Complete Streets in the Traverse City area from Tart Trails and MyWheelsAreTurning.com
Michigan Complete Streets Coalition 