Save Our Bike Lanes
Our ability to bike and walk safely is under threat.
The Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has said the federal government shouldn’t be funding bike lanes.The top member of Congress writing the next transportation reauthorization bill has said that the next five years of federal funding won’t include bicycling and walking projects, this means no funding for sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes.
The Federal Transportation Bill that will fund the next five years of our infrastructure is currently in discussions. We need a bill that supports bicycling and walking. This bill is a large funding source of our Complete Streets (Safe Streets) program in Pinellas County. Pinellas County has recently been ranked number one in e-bike crashes and it has one of the highest numbers of bicycle and pedestrian deaths overall in Florida. Further, according to Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design report, our infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists is actually causing many of these deaths and injuries.
We ask you to reach out to your U.S. Senators and House Representatives to support a Transportation Reauthorization bill that includes the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Act which gives states and local governments the flexibility to more easily fund bicycling and walking safety infrastructure and the Safe Streets and Roads for All Reauthorization Act to continue funding local governments to plan for and implement safety projects.
You can find representatives HERE.
SAMPLE EMAIL OR SCRIPT:
To your US Senator(s):
“Pinellas County, located in one of the top most dangerous metros by design, has recently been ranked number one in e-bike deaths in Florida. Pinellas County needs more funding, not less, as a large portion of these deaths and injuries are likely related to our current infrastructure.
Please support bicycling and walking in the next Transportation Reauthorization bill by supporting S.944, the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Act which gives states and local governments the flexibility to more easily fund bicycling and walking safety infrastructure.”
To your US House Representative:
“Pinellas County, located in one of the top most dangerous metros by design, has recently been ranked number one in e-bike deaths in Florida. Pinellas County needs more funding, not less, as a large portion of these deaths and injuries are likely related to our current infrastructure.
Please support bicycling and walking in the next Transportation Reauthorization bill by supporting H.R.2011, the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Act which gives states and local governments the flexibility to more easily fund bicycling and walking safety infrastructure, and H.R.5452, the Safe Streets and Roads for All Reauthorization Act to continue funding local governments to plan for and implement safety projects.”