Urge your Mayor to join Transportation for America
April 20, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
| Read the letter from the mayors, send it to your mayor and tell them to sign on. |
| MAYORS’ LETTER (.doc) |
| More about our partners |
When we launched our campaign platform in late February, we were fortunate to have Mayor John Robert Smith of Meridian, Mississippi here in Washington, D.C. to deliver the keynote address.
Perhaps better than anyone, mayors understand the impact that Washington’s decisions on transportation spending can have locally. From big cities to small, they see the crumbling infrastructure, congestion, and lack of transportation choices that hamstrings their cities’ ability to compete economically.
Six four mayors have already joined Transportation for America, but we’re looking for more.
Just a few weeks ago, these mayors wrote a letter to President Obama and Congress explaining why they support the campaign. It urged our national leaders to take the opportunity presented by this year’s transportation bill to write something truly transformative — keeping America competitive and keeping all Americans moving.
For a generation, the United States has invested trillions of dollars in a world-class highway system. Today, we need to protect that investment by prioritizing maintenance over expansion while we build out the rest of the system — so that all of America has access to the transportation options needed to compete and thrive in the 21st Century global economy.
Urge your mayor to join the campaign and be one of the first to sign the letter! Download the mayors’ letter, take it to your mayor and tell them to sign it and join Transportation for America as a partner.
The letter was signed by Mayors John Engen of Missoula, MT, Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, MN, Mayor Patrick McCrory of Charlotte, NC, and Mayor John Robert Smith of Meridian, MS. (Since then, Mayor Don Ness of Duluth, MN, and Mayor John DeStefano of New Haven, CT have added their names.)
Your mayor can add their name to the letter by filling out the form and returning it to us. Continue reading to see the full text of the letter.
Dear President Obama and United States Congress:
In recent months, we have faced a storm of economic uncertainty and financial instability. The news that our economy shed over half a million jobs in January testifies to the magnitude of this crisis. As we work to protect our citizens from the worst symptoms of this economic downturn, we as elected leaders must be forward thinking. We need to ensure that our states remain competitive in the national economy and that our country remains competitive in the global economy.
It is widely recognized that transportation investment drives the economic engine of a region. When gasoline prices hit $4.00/gallon across the country last year, people looked for alternatives to driving. The increases in walking, bicycling, and ridership on buses and trains accelerated a trend that local leaders and real estate developers were already seeing—a growing demand for transit-oriented developments, and walkable communities. This increase in demand presents a rare opportunity where consumer preference supports the smart development that will create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Ignoring the warnings of last summer’s dramatic rise in gasoline prices and our current recession is not an option. We need to champion a national transportation vision that embraces the intermodal solutions demanded by the shifting needs of America. For these reasons, I have chosen to support Transportation for America and their campaign to reform federal transportation policy.
For a generation, the United States has invested trillions of dollars in a world-class highway system. Today, we need to protect that investment by prioritizing maintenance over expansion while we build out the rest of the system — so that all of America has access to the transportation options needed to compete and thrive in the 21st Century global economy.
This is why I am joining the Transportation for America campaign to advocate for:
- Providing funding and decision-making authority to local regions;
- Creating a special program to restore and maintain our existing highways, bridges, and transit systems, and maximize their efficiency;
- Establishing national transportation objectives and holding agencies accountable;
- Supporting safe walking and biking, reduced exposure to vehicle injuries and dirty air;
- Rewarding communities for plans and investments that pay off for people, the environment, and the economy; and,
- Broadening the capital and operating funding base for transportation.
We need your help. Not since the creation of the Interstate Highway System has there been a moment like this to invest strategically in our communities. Please support our efforts to work towards a clean, healthy, and prosperous future.
Sincerely,
Mayor Patrick McCrory, Charlotte, NC
Mayor John Robert Smith, Meridian, MS
Mayor R. T. Rybak, Minneapolis, MN
Mayor John Engen, Missoula, MT
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