Dear Campaign Advocate,

Thank you for the strong response to our October call for ready-to-go bicycle or pedestrian projects for possible inclusion in the federal economic recovery package. With our national partners, we collected hundreds of projects that total $1.2 billion. Parameters have since expanded, and we are again seeking active transportation project submissions.

The recovery package will likely be $700 billion or more, aiming to create and maintain 2.5 million jobs over the next two years. This framing is significantly different than previous estimates of $300 billion over a few months—hence our renewed call for projects.

Please submit projects to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) by visiting our online submission page:

http://support.railstotrails.org/submissions

Guidelines:

1. Projects should be $100,000 or more;
2. RTC must receive submissions by Dec. 15 at noon, eastern time;
3. There is no need to resubmit projects already proposed; and
4. Projects should be able to be completed between four months and two years.

Political Background:

Congress is considering multiple scenarios for how to distribute the infrastructure funds in this economic recovery package (expected to pass in late January). The House approach simply passes all the money to state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). This course of action will not yield optimal results for active transportation. We face the threat of being left out by funding priorities that follow the mistakes of the past half-century. Your submissions help us make the case with congressional leaders that active transportation projects are in high demand and deserve to be a priority.

Thank you.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

P.S. You can help in another way. RTC is currently running an online petition encouraging Congress to specifically fund active transportation projects in the recovery package. We have one week left to hit our target of 10,000 signatures, and we are very close! Please use all applicable lists or newsletters to encourage others to sign the petition—after doing so yourself! You can find the petition online at:

http://support.railstotrails.org/recovery

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
2121 Ward Ct., NW
5th Floor
Washington, DC 20037
+1-202-331-9696