Tell Congress to Support Pedestrian and Cyclist Equity Act 
posted October 9, 2003

Follow up on International Walk to School Day by telling Congress about issues and events in your community.

Students, parents, and community leaders participated in thousands of Walk to School events in all 50 states on October 8.  The goal was to ensure kids are able to access schools safely and make walking or biking part of their daily routine and get healthy physical activity.  Communities are calling for additional transportation funds to build traffic calming facilities around schools, teach safe walking and biking skills, and new facilities such as crosswalks, trails, and bike racks.

The Pedestrian and Cyclist Equity Act (PACE) authored by House transportation leader Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) would dedicate $250 million per year in federal funds to creating walkable and bikeable communities.  It would create a Safe Routes to School program to improve safety for children walking and biking to school.  Grants available through PACE would also help communities encourage more physical activity through the design of their transportation systems, dedicating $25 million per year for grants for Active Living projects targeted at increasing physical activity through changes in transportation and community design.  In addition, $25 million per year would fund non-motorized transportation demonstration projects in three communities.  A link to the legislation and other resources may be found below.  Please report back your action so that we can keep track.

ACTION NEEDED:

Send a letter to your Congressional delegation urging them to support the Safe Routes to School bill.  (sample letter below) 

SAMPLE LETTER:

Include a newspaper clipping or photo from a local Walk to School Day event   

Dear Rep./Sen. [Name]: 

I am writing to you as a [LOCAL AREA] resident and on behalf of [LOCAL ORG].  I/we urge you to make pedestrian safety a priority as reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA-21) moves forward.  Although 12 percent of all traffic deaths represent people killed while walking, only one percent of the nation’s annual $40 billion transportation investment is dedicated to projects that improve pedestrian safety. 

The safety of children walking is especially important to our community.  Please support Rep. James Oberstar’s bipartisan Pedestrian and Cycling Equity Act (HR 2568) and ensure that this legislation is incorporated into TEA-21 reauthorization.  This bill would create a national Safe Routes to School program, which would devote almost $250 million to help communities make it safe, convenient and fun for children to get healthy physical activity by walking or biking to school.

The fact that so few children walk or bike to school may be part of the reason why so many kids are overweight.  In the past twenty-five years, the percentage of overweight children has tripled.  Walking or bicycling to school can help reverse these figures.  The problem is that we have too often designed our communities for speeding cars rather than walking children. Safe Routes to School would help protect children by slowing traffic, installing walking and biking facilities and promoting programs that help kids walk to school together or with a parent. 

Recently, our community organized events at local schools to mark International Walk to School Day on October 8.  I have enclosed a [news clipping or photo] of the event, which involved [number] participating parents and children.

Please feel free to contact me at [phone number] to schedule a meeting, or if you have any questions about this legislation.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[your name]

RESOURCES:

Find the text and co-sponsors of the PACE legislation http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.02568:

State-specific statistics on health and walking from STPP’s national poll on pedestrian issues, www.transact.org/report.asp?id=205 (see pull-down menu for your state)

Listing of local events, Walk to School toolkit and directory of health professionals, www.walktoschool.org

Fact Sheet on Safe Routes to School from America Bikes, http://www.americabikes.org/images/resource/saferouts/SRTS%20Fact%20Sheet3.pdf

Sample letter and opinion editorial on Safe Routes to School from America Walks, www.americawalks.org/resources/wtsd.htm

Sign-on Pledge and Safe Routes to School Case Statement from the Active Living Network, (color brochure .pdf file), www.activeliving.org/tools_inthenews.htm#oct1

TO REPORT BACK OR For More Information: Contact Andrea Broaddus at the Surface Transportation Policy Project at 202-466-2636.