US Senator Jerry Moran has announced a Town Hall meeting this Sunday, March 6 at 3:30 p.m. on the Johnson County College campus (see Sen. Moran’s email below for location information) that may also be attended by US Representative Kevin Yoder for the 3rd District. This is a perfect opportunity to meet Kansas’ newest senator and our new 3rd District representative and tell them how important bicycling is to you and the time is impeccable.
By sheer coincidence, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) will convene their annual National Bike Summit (www.bikeleague.org) this coming Tuesday, March 8, in Washington DC to advocate the continuation of the Transportation Enhancement Program, Safe Routes to School and provisions in the Surface Transportation Program that allow the incorporation of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in major road and highway improvement projects across the country.
Five advocates, four from Johnson County, including two KanBikeWalk board members and one from Manhattan, KS are currently registered to attend the Summit. This is a record number from KS to attend the Summit. The primary purpose of this year’s Summit, which will be attended by over 700 bicycle advocates from across the US, is to explain the importance of bicycle transportation to their state or district, the need for improved conditions for safe bicycling and to ask for the continued federal support of bicycling as a critical mode of transportation in this year’s debate on the renewal of the 6 year federal transportation bill. This bill sets the policy and funding approaches for the next 6 year’s investments in transportation infrastructure, safety, air quality, congestion, bridges and transit programs.
Nearly all Summit attendees will be meeting with their state’s Congressional delegation members on Thursday, March 10. Your personal message to Senator Moran and Representative Yoder prior to the Summit will have a tremendous impact on the sincerity of our Summit discussions. In our meetings we will be stressing the safety or lack thereof for bicycling on today’s auto-oriented roads and highways in Kansas, the congestion, traffic and hazards around our schools, the declining health of our population, especially our children due to inactivity and the need for active transportation as a vital component of a broad multi-modal approach to transportation. These programs and others are critical if America, Kansas and Johnson County are to reduce their dependence on volatile foreign oil. The gas pumps this past month are a prime example of just how vulnerable our economic vitality has become.
Your message can be simple, personal and to the point or more policy oriented depending on your comfort level or preference. The following examples are just a couple sample approaches you may choose, but I encourage you to add your own personal touch:
Senator Moran and Representative Yoder
(If attending in person, introduce yourself, give your address, and if associated with a bicycle-related business or group, state it as well)
Approach Option 1: Personal Experience
I am a bicyclist who cycles all over Johnson County and the Kansas City metro, including when I go to work, go shop and for recreation. I am member of KanBikeWalk (or JCBC, KCBC, or others if applicable). I have experienced many things riding my bicycle, but what I have learned is our roads do not make it safe to do so. The roads are too narrow, there are very few, if any bike lanes, our trails are nice, but they don’t go everywhere like the roads do or where I need to go. Motorists view us as impediments instead of fellow travelers because our roads and highways were only built to accommodate them. But we have the legal right to be there too and our taxes support our roads and highways, just like motorists do. Our roads are so dangerous to bicycle on; most parents will no longer let their children bicycle to school. How crazy is that? Do you remember when you walked or biked to school? Should our children be able to now?
Would you please support the continued funding of bicycle accommodation and Safe Routes to School in the upcoming transportation program discussions?
Approach Option 2: Policy Support
Over the last 18 years many efforts have been made to bring bicycling back into the transportation mix. However, much more work remains for it to be a truly viable mode of transportation in Johnson County. For over 50 years, the federal and state government has concentrated on auto-oriented transportation. However, bicycling was not considered until recently when communities began to realize the heavy burden of this single focused approach to transportation.
Today, people need choices in how they move about Johnson County and for the most part, we do not have that choice. Consequently, residents, such as me, are forced to spend tremendous amounts of our household budget on transportation. In fact, our region has one of the highest costs for transportation per household in the country.
To help us, your constituents, deal with these ever increasing costs, we ask you to support the continuation of the:
- Transportation Enhancement Program to help improve area roadways to make them safer for bicyclists and pedestrians to travel on,
- Safe Routes to School so our children can once again safely walk or bicycle to school as many of us used to when we were children, and
- Existing provisions in the Surface Transportation Program so new projects include bicycling and walking from the beginning.
As your constituent I look forward to your support for bicycling and walking during the upcoming Congressional hearings and discussions on the next transportation bill.
Thank you.
(If sending a message, include your name and address at the end)
The following is Senator Moran’s email announcement of his Town Hall meeting with more detail and information on the meeting. Hope to see you there!
—————————————————————————————————
From: “Senator Jerry Moran”
Sent: Thursday, March 3, 2011 2:22:59 PM
Subject: Johnson County Town Hall Meeting this Sunday
Dear Friend,
This Sunday, March 6th, I am hosting a town hall at Johnson County Community College. I hope you will consider joining me to share your thoughts and hear more about the work I do on your behalf in Washington, D.C. It will be good to get a dose of Kansas common sense to bring back to the nation’s capitol.
Congressman Kevin Yoder also plans to join us for the meeting, which will be the 38th stop along my statewide Listening Tour. Click here to see a map of where we’ve already been on the tour and some of the upcoming stops. See below for more detailed information about this Sunday’s town hall:
3:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, March, 6, 2011
Regnier Center – Capitol Federal Conference Center
Rooms A and B
12345 College Blvd
Overland Park, KS 66210
Click here to see a map of the campus
Facebook – RSVP
The issues I focus on and the work I do in Washington, D.C., is based on what I learn in the conversations I have with Kansans during my tour stops. If you are unable to attend, I would still like to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts and stay connected through:
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Very truly yours,
Jerry Moran
