Hello Biking friends,

the below is an opportunity to voice input to where federal Highway
dollars will go. So if you don't like crossing 65 at Blue Oaks, this
might be an opportunity to voice inout how these can be dome more
bike/ped friendly.
I'll put the detailed invitations under the Files Section.

Thanks, bjorn


Dear Pedestrian and Active Community Advocates:

Some very important decisions will be made in California and around the
country as States develop and adopt their "Strategic Highway Safety
Plans"
as required in the reauthorized transporation act. The plans are
required
as part of determining where federal safety related transportation
dollars
will be spent.

In California this is of great concern to pedestrian and bicycle
advocates
as well as proponents of Safe Routes to School as California has
dedicated
through legislation a significant portion of these funds (1/3) for Safe
Routes to School projects. Changes are needed in the California
legislation
to continue these funds so that the new federal Safe Routes to School
funds
expand rather than simply replace California Funds.

In California there will be two Summit Meetings to get input on the
plans.
One on March 7th in Sacramento and one on March 9th in Ontario.
Invitations
to these meetings as well as information on the Strategic Highway
Safety
Plans is attached with this e-mail.

Representatives from pedestrian adovcacy groups (America Walks,
California
Walks, WALKSacramento) and bicycle groups met after the most recent
Stakeholders Meeting in Sacramento. We believe that it is important to
meet
prior to the March summits and are planning a pre-summit meeting in
Sacramento March 6th, the day before the March 7th Summit meeting.

We think this is a powerful opportunity to build a case for including
both
pedestrian and bicycle safety elements into this plan. As Deb Hubsmith
puts
it:

"Since the year 2000, 33% of all federal safety funds in California
have
gone to Safe Routes to School, due to state legislation. Now, the new
federal transportation bill overrides that previous law and all states
are
being asked to develop a Strategic Highway Safety Plan. How big a piece
of
the pie will we get? That is the $90 million dollar question. 20% of
all
traffic fatalities in California are pedestrians and bicyclists. We
must
unite and be strong to get our worthy piece of the $90 million/year
pie."

I'm forwarding this to the America Walks list to encourage folks from
around
the country to contact their state DOTs to find out what their state is
doing to implement this provision. Please let me know if you will be
planning to attend the summit and pre-summit meetings.

The website for the SHSP is;
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/survey/SHSP

Sincerely,

Anne Geraghty
Executive Director
WALKSacramento
909 - 12th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916 - 446-WALK (9255)

Walkable Communities = Communities of Walkers

Join WALKSacramento -- www.walksacramento.org