The response has been great since we issued the Action Alert yesterday afternoon. Many thanks to those of you who have already reported contacting Senator Warren and Senator Markey! If you have emailed or called one (or both) of Massachusetts’ Senators, please email [email protected] so we can keep track of who has been contacted.

Thank you very much to those of you who have already contacted Senator Warren and Senator Markey! Your phone calls and emails are making a difference.

We have heard from both Senator Markey’s and Senator Warren's staff that lots of you have been emailing and calling! Senator Markey has already stated that he is opposed to amendment 1742, and Senator Warren is still reviewing all of the amendments. More contacts are better, so please take a moment to review the Action Alert below, and make those calls and emails to Senator Warren right now. 

Original Action Alert:

Just last year Congress passed a new transportation bill, MAP-21, that dismantled dedicated funding for biking and walking by combining Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails into one program and cutting the funding by 30%. This is money that can be used to educate kids about bicycle and pedestrian safety, improve sidewalks, bike lanes, and paths near schools, and build and maintain off-road paths and trails for everyone.

Now Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky wants to wipe out what’s left.

Senator Paul has introduced an amendment to the Transportation Appropriations bill to prohibit ANY MONEY from being used for Transportation Alternatives, and to redirect that money towards bridge repair.

While we agree that repairing our bridges is important, both for safety and economic development reasons, so are our local economies and the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. Dedicating the small amount of Transportation Alternatives funding to bridge repair couldn’t fix our country’s bridges in 50 years. This is really just an excuse to eliminate funding for important biking and walking programs. And, taking that small amount of funding away would dangerously undermine efforts in our cities and towns to provide safe and efficient transportation options for everyone, including our children. That is a trade we can’t afford to make.

Please ask Senator Markey and Senator Warren to save Transportation Alternatives by voting NO on amendment 1742.

Contact Senator Warren:
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Email: http://www.warren.senate.gov/?p=email_senator

Contact Senator Markey:
Phone: (202) 224-2742
Email: Not available currently (due to transition from House to Senate)

And please let us know you’ve taken action by cc’ing or emailing us at [email protected].

Thank you so much for your help protecting funding for biking and walking!