WEST HARTFORD, CT (February 19, 2015) – Travelers has provided Bike Walk Connecticut with a general corporate sponsorship award of $5000 to become a 2015 Premier Business Member. "At Travelers, we are committed to helping develop strong, vibrant neighborhoods where our employees live and work," said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. "We are pleased to support Bike Walk Connecticut's mission to help make our roads safer for cyclists, pedestrians and commuters." The funding supports Bike Walk Connecticut’s efforts to make Connecticut a better place to bike and walk. Bike Walk Connecticut works with residents, elected officials and staff in state and local government to encourage “complete streets” and other policies that make it easier for people to get around by bike or on foot. The group’s work also includes an educational summit and bike education programs. “Travelers has been a longtime supporter and sponsor of Bike Walk Connecticut,” said Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director of Bike Walk Connecticut. “With all the new focus on building a first class, multi-modal transportation system here in Connecticut, we couldn’t be more excited to have the continued backing of such a well-respected business. Travelers really gets how important bikeable, walkable communities are to our economy and quality of life.” Travelers is committed to building vibrant communities that provide opportunity. Through corporate funding and the Travelers Foundation, the company focuses its giving in three core areas: education, community development and arts & culture. Travelers committed more than $21 million in 2013 to these initiatives. The company supports and encourages its employees’ volunteer efforts. Many employees are active members of their community, and collectively perform tens of thousands of hours in volunteer service each year. The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately $26 billion in 2013. For more information, visit www.travelers.com. To learn more about Bike Walk Connecticut business membership and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.bikewalkct.org/business-membership. Fast forward to 10 minutes for the start of the Governor's address. And listen for what he has to say about biking and walking. Governor Malloy's office has put out two primary documents on his transportation vision--there's a the 5 year ramp up plan (2015-2019), and there's the 30-year plan. The 5 year ramp up plan includes $101MM for bike ped work. The 30 year plan includes $780MM of bike ped projects, including $250MM for the Merritt Parkway path. Now all we need is for everybody to agree to pay for it! Easy as pie? The Merritt Parkway project, complete streets, and connecting gaps in the trail network are equally weighted in the proposal. $30MM is laid out for trail maintenance. There will be much to discuss in the legislative session! Links to Governor's Documents
Transforming Transportation – Let's Go CT
Budget News Release Governor Malloy's five-year proposal to ramp up CT's transportation system includes:
· $101 million for bicycle and pedestrian trails · $1.7 billion for rail improvements, including bridge repairs, station improvements and capacity and speed upgrades · $612.5 million for Interstate 84 in West Hartford; I-95 Baldwin Bridge to Gold Star Bridge; the I-91/I-691/Route 15 area; Route 9 in Middletown; I-84 between exits 3 and 8; reconfiguration of interchanges 29 on I-91, among others · $281.3 million for the I-84 Aetna Viaduct redesign; the I-84/Route 8 "mixmaster" in Waterbury; the West Rock Tunnel rehabilitation and more · $43 million in bus improvements See http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-malloy-transportation-plan-0218-20150218-story.html#page=2 Heads Up! There's a legislative Transportation Committee hearing on Wed Feb.11 at 12:30 pm where we'll have the opportunity to show lawmakers just how much public support there is for biking and walking in Connecticut and forSB 502 to become a comprehensive, forward-thinking "Bike Bill." Your presence, email testimony, and oral testimony at the Feb. 11 hearing will make a huge statement to legislators that Connecticut needs to get serious about making the state a better place to bike and walk. While SB 502 does not contain definitive bill language at this early point in the legislative session, it is intended to :
Find out who your legislators are here. For other important instructions on the hearing and sending testimony, click here. Bike Walk Connecticut is pleased to let you know that plans for our biennial summit are underway. The 2015 Bike Walk CT Summit will take place on Friday, April 24 at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center in Old Wethersfield, in central Connecticut and a short distance from I-91. We tried to find a centrally located, business class venue for a Friday and Saturday event, but none were to be found (it's wedding season!). We know the Friday schedule is not ideal for some of our members, but we hope many of you will still be able to attend. This year, the summit will be preceded by a full day of NACTO Bikeway Design Training on Thursday, April 23, for planners and engineers at the state, local and regional levels. This training will complement our complete streets project and the new US Mayors Challenge for Safer People, Safer Streets. Professionals from the public and private sectors are welcome. Help us make the summit a success! We could use a few good volunteers to help coordinate programming and logistics. We have some ideas of our own, but what would you like this year's summit to address? To volunteer or send programming ideas, email bikewalkct@bikewalkct.org with SUMMIT in the subject line.
More details to follow as soon as possible. We think you'll be energized! Details on Addressing and Emailing the Transportation Committee about the Bike Bill on Feb 112/8/2015
The Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 12:30 P.M. in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford. Among others, the "Bike Bill" ( Proposed S.B. No. 502 AN ACT CONCERNING BICYCLE SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS) is on the agenda.
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