Urgent! Tell Your PA House Rep to Support Transportation Funding

Pick your cliche: it's now or never; it's do-or-die time; time to cowboy up, give 110% percent, leave it all on the field and dance with the horse that brought you.

Early next week, the Pennsylvania House is going to vote on a transportation bill. This is Pennsylvania's best shot to adequately fund transportation, including bicycling and walking projects, for the foreseeable future. We must act now.

As you may recall, last spring the Senate passed SB 1, provided $2.5B in funding. That bill is the best bill we could expect out of this transportation debate, and we need the House to pass an identical bill at that same $2.5 billion funding level.

House members need to hear from you that this bill is critical to making Pennsylvania's roads safer and its economic well being. Tell them that their vote on this issue is critically important to you as their constituent. No matter their party, every House member should vote for this bill if they have Pennsylvania's best interests at heart.

Please:

1. Send this e-mail action letter to your House representative.
2. Call your House Representative's office and deliver the same message: you are counting on them to vote YES on comprehensive transportation funding.

In order to fulfill the promise of Senate Bill 1 and build, not bastardize, Pennsylvania's future, the House bill must provide $2.5 billion in annual transportation funding, which includes:

• $495 million designated for public transit (read: SEPTA);
• A robust multi-modal fund of $80-$150 million annually, to which bicycle and pedestrian projects can apply for funding; and
• At least $2 million minimum in the multi-modal fund for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

This is a critically important moment in Pennsylvania for all forms of transportation. We need everyone to speak up for its importance. As Rina Cutler, Philadelphia's Deputy Mayor said this morning at a DVRPC board meeting: "We have one shot at this and no second chance."