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 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.
We contacted candidates for Governor, State Senator, and State Representative to educate them about Bike Walk Connecticut and the importance of making Connecticut a better place to bike and walk. Here's what we said: Dear Candidate: As you make your rounds in these last few days before the election, we hope you'll keep our mission in mind. Are the communities you visit good, safe places for people to bike and walk? We believe Connecticut must become a better place to bike and walk. We believe more people want to spend less time sitting in their cars. We think parents want their kids to be able to bike or walk to school. We know more people would bike and walk more, if it were convenient and they felt safe. If we want to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, encourage people to get more exercise, help people save money, and foster lively communities, then promoting biking and walking is smart policy. To see what some Connecticut residents are saying about why biking and walking is important to them, please click here.
We hope you'll work with us to get better, safer places for biking and walking all across Connecticut. Best wishes to you on the final stretch of the campaign trail! Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director Bike Walk Connecticut www.bikewalkct.org ... By the way, if you're not familiar with our work, here are some of our accomplishments so far this year:
Right now federal law incentivizes more driving by giving better benefits to people who drive to work, rather than bike or take public transit. Why are we incentivizing driving? This needs to change!
The Commuter Parity Act and The Bike to Work Act to make bike share memberships eligible for transit benefits and increase the bike benefit to $35 per month. In January 2014, transit benefits were cut almost in half, from $245 to $130 per month, while parking benefits increased slightly to $250. Meanwhile, the bike benefit stayed at $20 a month. Click here to learn more and take action with the LAB's handy new tool. Hartford Courant Editorial, 10/15/14:
Connecticut's "vulnerable user" law, which took effect this month, most likely won't solve all the problems associated with the various uses of public streets and highways. But it's a good start, especially if it opens the door to a discussion of how we can be more respectful of one another's presence on the roads. The law imposes a $1,000 fine on motorists who, in failing to "exercise reasonable care," injure or kill a so-called "vulnerable user of a public way." Those users include pedestrians, bicyclists, highway workers, people on horseback, those in wheelchairs, skateboarders, roller skaters and the drivers of farm tractors. Read the full editorial at http://www.courant.com/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-vulnerable-users-law-respects-all-who-use-ro-20141014-story.html "In a democracy, everybody gets the government they deserve." Elections matter. On November 4, you can have an impact on Connecticut's quality of life. Your vote counts. Pledge to Register and VOTE! Then spread the word. #BikeWalkVoteCT DISCLAIMER: Bike Walk Connecticut never supports or opposes candidates or political parties. The long overdue passage of the Vulnerable User law and Bike Walk CT are getting press coverage. Student reporter DANIELA BRIGHENTI wrote a particularly good story for the Yale Daily News.
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