Earlier this month, we announced our new name: Washington Bikes. It expresses our vision for the future–one in which more and more of Washington bikes every day.
And while it looks like the state legislature is finally getting close to investing in our transportation system, current proposals don’t go far enough to build the vision we all want.
That’s why we need you to contact legislators now.
Not good enough!
The proposed $12 billion package will spend less than 2%–two pennies out of a dollar!–on giving you and me alternatives to being stuck in traffic and spending our hard-earned dollars at the pump.
Thursday the State Senate Transportation Committee will hear testimony on this $12 billion transportation proposal. Your legislators need to hear from you today that every day more and more of Washington bikes, walks, and takes transit and a balanced, sensible transportation package will invest accordingly.
This package will guide transportation investment over the next decade. Just some of the reasons we think two cents should instead be two dimes—things you can tell your legislators about why they should dedicate 20% of the new funding to biking, walking, and transit:
- Your needs: Rapid increases in the number of Washingtonians who can’t, won’t, or shouldn’t drive alone, from youth to seniors, who need to get to school, work, a doctor’s appointment or the grocery store.
- Local interest: High demand from communities across the state for investments in bike/walk projects for more comfortable connections that encourage healthy transportation and help create room on the streets for those who do need to drive.
- State interest: At stake—whether or not people and goods can get where they need to go (the person in the bike lane or bus next to you isn’t in the car in front of you!) and whether our kids can walk and bike to school safely.
Add in the fact that bike/walk projects actually create more jobs per dollar invested than traditional road projects (40%-50% more, one study found), and we think this approach is smart for all of Washington.
Brother, can you spare two dimes? (You’ll earn them back–and then some–on increased real estate value, reduced congestion and air/water pollution, better health, and jobs created.)
With this one action you can help make the air cleaner, create living-wage jobs, and expand mobility for people without access to reliable transportation.
Contact your legislators and the Governor to tell them that you need their support right now for the right package. Tell them to support investments that give everyone in Washington an equal opportunity to get where we need to go.
How? For your legislators, find them through this easy legislative district finder.
You can also call: 1-800-562-6000. The operator will route your message to your legislators. Your message: I SUPPORT funding biking, walking, and transit at 20% of the total transportation revenue package.
Let your legislators know the following:
I support a statewide transportation revenue package if 20% of the package includes investments in Safe Routes to School, walking and biking connections, Complete Streets, and transit. Washington only works when all people have an equal opportunity to get where we need to go and when our towns and citizens are strong and healthy.
Thank you for all you do to make bicycling better so more and more of Washington bikes!
