Will U.S. Legislature Defund Safe Routes to School Today?
Decatur Metro | February 2, 2012 | 9:58 am
UPDATE: Another update from Rails to Trails indicates that the amendment, which would have restored funding to Safe Routes, Rails to Trails, etc, failed to pass by a vote of 27 to 29.
Julie sent in this alert that she received from Rails to Trails yesterday…
We aren’t exaggerating when we say this ask has never been more urgent.
Please read more and take action now.We have until 4 p.m. EST today to have our thoughts heard.
Tomorrow, Thursday, February 2, the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives will be voting on our nation’s next multiyear surface transportation bill.
There’s no way to spin this: From the perspective of trails, walking and bicycling, the bill is a total disaster.
Among its worst features are:
- It eliminates dedicated funding for the Transportation Enhancements (TE) program—the nation’s largest funding source for trails, walking and bicycling. (Terrible news, but we expected it.)
- It removes the rail-trail category from TE eligibility.
- It completely eliminates funding for the Safe Routes to School program.
- It eliminates funding for bicycle and pedestrian coordinators at state DOTs.
But there’s still a chance…
Representatives Tom Petri (R-Wis.) and Tim Johnson (R-Ill.) are considering the introduction of an amendment in the committee that would right many of the bill’s wrongs.
But they need to hear from other committee members that their amendment has a fighting chance.
Please: Take two minutes and ask your representatives to defend trails, walking and bicycling. We only have until 4 p.m. EST today, so any additional support you’re able to gather will make an enormous difference!’
A follow-up email breathed a cautious sigh of relief noting that an amendment saving the programs mentioned above had already been drafted. According to Rails-to-Trails “Due to its last minute filing and its becoming the major focus of attention for tomorrow’s debate and vote on the bill, congressional discussion on the amendment will go late into the night.”
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see at this point.
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April 7, 2010 Is There Momentum To Get a Georgia Transportation Bill Passed? (13)
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March 3, 2015 UPDATED: Transportation Bill Approved Again, With Some Concessions to Local Governments (21)
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June 2, 2010 Go Tax Yourself! (0)
note – this the US House of Representatives, not the GA one
Boondoggle…children need to be sedentary and play xbox more…not walk outside…plus, it’s dangerous.
Indeed. Now that they have pizza as a vegetable, the circle is nearly complete. Fat, stupid, and lazy – just how we want the next generation!
Right. This way people will be much more willing to accept their political opinions from sound bytes and bumper stickers and NOT from anything they might have seen outside or from talking to other people.
Yep, I’m tired of do-gooders pushing their lifestyle choices on us by using our money to fund “safe” “routes” to “school,” bicycling, and other elitist nonsense. We should let the marketplace make these decisions, by directing all transportation funds to building roads, like God intended.
I love the concept and principles – but this is not, and rightfully should not be, a federal issue.
Schools are state institutions, and funding should come from the state (or local) level. Yes, I know there is no money at these levels, but that’s really beside the point. If you’re angry or frustrated, be angry at state legislators, not the Congress which is drawing an appropriate line.
The other comments about conservative principles are just misguided distractions.
This is more than just Safe Routes To School. The proposed bill also eliminates Transportation Enhancements funding – goodby Decatur Streetscapes Program and all the trees and sidewalk improvements that have helped transform downtown Decatur. The proposed bill also removes guaranteed funding for the Mass Transit Account – a bipartisan program set up during President Reagan’s term in office.
Well, I hate to see these programs impacted. However, given our federal deficit situation, I think we have to ask ourselves whether, given the situation with our deficit… streetscapes and Safe Routes is the best expenditure of federal (as opposed to local or maybe state) dollars.
I know we are having tough times at the local and state level too so it’s hard if not impossible to fund stuff like this out of local coffers.. but the feds are not a bottomless bucket and I think we need to be careful about what federal money is spent on.
I know… tax the wealthy, close the loopholes, etc. However, even if we do those things, that money probably needs to go toward our national debt rather than toward local projects.
And I do love streetscapes and Safe Routes…. I think we just need to consider where the money really comes from.
I say let the market decide how many kids get hit by cars on the way to school.