Bicycle Coalition Action Alert   February 9, 2012 Greetings!       Next week both the House and Senate will be considering transportation bills which, if passed, will be disastrous for bicycling and pedestrian funding nationwide. In preparation for those votes, bicycling advocates nationwide are urging members and supports to contact their Senators and Reps about these bills.   The House of Representatives (HR7) This bill is a disaster for bicycling and pedestrian funding, not just cutting funding but eliminating whole programs like Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School, as well as bike/ped coordinator jobs at DOTs. The bill also would eliminate dedicated funding for public transportation while failing to go far enough to fix bridges and roads.   The full House will be debating the bill (HR 7) next week, which means you should call your Representative and voice your opposition to this horrendous bill. The Senate The Senate's transportation bill would put DOTs in charge of allocating federal money for bike/ped projects, and will allow DOTs to opt out of safe streets policies. The Cardin-Cochran amendment up for consideration next week would re-empower local governments to apply directly for federal funds to build walking and biking infrastructure. This Cardin-Cochran amendment doesn't redeem the bill, but it's an improvement, and our Senators need to hear our support for it. Send an e-mail or call their office directly.   This is about safety. 25% of traffic fatalities in the 9-county PA/NJ area are bicyclists and pedestrians.* We must speak loudly for the need to preserve walking and biking infrastructure funding, or we will be cast back to a 1950s, highways-only transportation landscape.   Thank you for taking action!   Sarah Clark Stuart Campaign Director *From DVRPC's 2010 crash data report.