(Photo © J. Maus)
Yesterday the Safe Routes to School National Partnership launched their “Dear Congress: Why Safe Routes to School is Important” campaign. The intention of this grassroots lobbying effort is to send a clear message to members of Congress that their constituents care deeply about getting more kids to walk and bike to school.
The National Partnership hopes to generate thousands of letters by September 24th that they will then bundle up and share with members of the House and Senate.
In a statement announcing the new campaign, Partnership staffers acknowledged that the timing of a new federal transportation bill is uncertain, but added that, “It is absolutely the time to make sure that we have all the ammunition necessary to continue the fight to strengthen and expand the federal Safe Routes to School program in the next bill… we can do this through your stories.”
If you want to see more funding for Safe Routes to School in the upcoming federal transportation bill, write a letter and encourage all your friends to do the same. Send your letters to Margo Pedroso with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership by September 24, 2009. You can scan and email electronic versions to margo[at]saferoutespartnership[dot]org. You can also mail letters to: Margo Pedroso, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, P.O. Box 442328, Fort Washington, MD 20749.
More information on the “Dear Congress” campaign at SafeRoutesPartnership.org.