STATE-WIDE CALL-IN DAY!

Tomorrow, more than 700 walking and bicycling advocates (Business Owners, Town Planners, Engineers, Mass Transit Representatives, Moms and Dads, and Adults with Mobility Challenges, plus many more) will be in our nation's capitol for the National Bike Summit.

I am writing to ask for your help. I invite you to join state senators and representatives across PA for a state-wide call-in day to support local advocates like me who are rallying in DC on Thursday, March 22. We'll be meeting with Congressmen and women in scheduled appointments as part of the National Bike Summit.

 

Please support our efforts to protect Complete Streets, Safe Routes To School, Rails-to-Trails, and all walking and bicycling funding and policies at the federal level. PA Walks & Bikes has created some excellent information sheets, which can be found online by clicking here. The League of American Bicyclists have also provided some information specific to Pennsylvania, by district, here: Pennsylvania.

1.  Call Your Congressman:

• Gerlach    Phone:  (202) 225-4315 | FAX:  (202) 225-8440
• Holden     Phone: (202) 225-5546 | FAX: (202) 226-0996
• Pitts          Phone: (202) 225-2411 | FAX: (202) 225-2013
• Dent         Phone: 202-225-6411 | Fax: 202-226-0778

2.  Call Your Senators:
Casey, Robert P., Jr.   Phone:  (202) 224-6324
Web Form: www.casey.senate.gov/contact/

 

Toomey, Patrick J.   Phone:  (202) 224-4254
Web Form: www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact

We will be saying:
• Keep dedicated funding for biking and walking in the House Bill
• The Senate Bill keeps dedicated funding for biking and walking
• Vote for the Senate Bill or any House Bill or Amendment that keeps dedicated funding for biking and walking
• Dedicated funding for biking and walking are good for Berks County
• Biking and walking projects create more jobs than road only projects

I will be rallying support for walking and bicycling here -- in Berks County, PA. We need dedicated funding for biking and walking in Berks County so that:
• The region can complete a premier network of trails to provide more transportation choices
• More residents can have access to trails and bike lanes that lead to healthier lifestyles
• The region’s streets can be made safer for:
    o Kids (Safe Routes Berks)
    o Cyclists & pedestrians (including ADA, Bus and Train riders, Commuters,  and recreational Tourists)
    o Motorists (Crashes dropped 45% on Spruce & Pine in Philly)

As many of you know, walking and bicycling are important to Pennsylvanians:
•2.6 million Pennsylvanians will bicycle at least once a month this summer!
•Pennsylvania has more rail-trails than any other state and has the 4th highest number of rail-trail miles! We have 146 rail trails totaling nearly 1,413 miles. In addition, 56 more trails and 428 miles are under development.
•13.8% of Pittsburghers walk or bike their commute, and 10.9% of Philadelphians do. Among the 60 largest cities in the country, these two are ranked number 2 and 7 respectively!
•Among the 10 largest cities in the country, Philadelphia has the highest mode share of bicycle commuters. From 2002 to 2009, bicycle commuting went up 151% in Philadelphia and 206% in Pittsburgh.
•Pennsylvania is home to 704 retail bike shops with gross revenue of $277,880,000.
•Three national bicycling magazines, a distribution plant for Cannondale, and the world headquarters of Advanced Sports, Inc. (parent of Fuji Bicycles and other brands) all call Pennsylvania home.
•The Allegrippis Trails near Raystown Lake have become a regional destination for mountain biking. In just two years, trail use at this project has more than doubled pre-construction projections.
•57% of the visitors to the Pine Creek Rail Trail included an overnight stay in conjunction with a trail excursion.
•11% of PA households do not own a vehicle and 34% have only one vehicle. They rely in part on walk and bike friendly communities to meet their transportation needs.
Please join us in telling our United States Congressmen and Senators to support livable, sustainable growth in our towns and cities in Berks County. Call your congressman on March 22 and ask him to vote for pedestrians and cyclists.
Thank you.

Map Your Congressional District: http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/GIS/Documents/elections/berks_all_congressional.pdf

 

Don't Forget: Call Your Congressman:
Gerlach
Holden
Pitts
Dent