Ask Your Senator and Representative to Protect Trail Funding

The Senate and House of Representatives are moving on drafts of America's next multiyear transportation bill. Unfortunately, at this point both drafts take drastic steps to eliminate dedicated funding for trail, bicycle and pedestrian projects. The past 20 years have shown that these projects are popular, cost-effective, job creating and invest in safer and healtheir communities. Dedicated trail funding through Transportation Enhancements and similar programs was essential for creating the first mile of Schuylkill Banks and many other fantastic trail and alternative transportation projects in our region and across the nation.

The Cardin/Cochran and Klobucar ammendments proposed in the Senate would ensure dedicated funding for trail, bicycling and walking projects and for the Recreational Trails Program. A similar bill put before the House transportation committee was voted down two weeks ago by a narrow margin, but current debate in the House appears to be open to the possibility of reintroducing dedicated funding for these important projects.

The Rails to Trails Conservancy has created online forms to ask your Senator to support the Cardin/Cochran and Klobuchaar amendments and to ask your Representative to vote no on the House Transportation bill as it does not ensure dedicated funding for trail projects. 

Please call, write or email your Senator and Representative to ask that they protect dedicated federal funding for trail, bicycling and pedestrian projects!