Yo Bikies, Sustainers, & SASY neighbors,
I just called my state senator's office (Mark Miller) and apparently
a whole slew of folks have already contacted him about Transportation
Enhancements (bike/ped funding). I spoke with one of his aides, Jamie
Kuhn, who was already well-versed in the whole Transportation
Enhancements issue. This is a good sign.
She asked for more detailed info on what exactly we wanted, and below
is what I sent out. Jamie said that they plan to inform DOT of what
the senator would like to see in the budget. It will then be up to
DOT to respond accordingly with the budget they submit. But she
warned that the Senator doesn't have direct control over what DOT
submits (of course). She did say that the time for more direct
influence will be when the budget goes to the Joint Finance Comm. Of
course, it is all chemical, nothing is certain, but, gotta try....
I'd say this means, keep up the pressure on *all* of your
legislators. Call them. Set up appointments. Don't let go of their
scruffs til we get all of our bike/ped $$ back!
Basically, we are having a great effect already. I heard that WisDOT
Sec'y Busalacchi has gotten flooded w/emails on the subject. Keep
flooding!
In case you don't know who your legislator is, or how to contact
her/him, go to this link:
http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/
Thanks for all your great work already, everyone!
-Mike
***************************
Dear Jamie,
Thanks so much for hearing us out on all the transportation enhancements stuff.
Basically, what we want is what federal law intended, which is:
1. A *minimum* of 10% of STP funds to go to Local Transportation
Enhancements and *spent* in full, every year. In dollar terms that
would currently be about $18m annually, plus the amortized value of
item 2.
2. Repayment into the Enhancements program, over the next 4 years, of
all Enhancements monies "borrowed" over the last 15 years for highway
purposes, including monies already spent on paved shoulders & highway
beautification (see Item 4), and including Enhancements monies
surrendered as "special dispensation" (i.e., federal permission for
WisDOT to steal Enhancements money for highways). This amounts to
some $182m plus interest (they took it, they pay for the time!). The
sum would be spent *in addition to* the amount spent in Item 1.
3. DOT must cease penalizing Transportation Enhancements for state
level and federal level bike/ped earmarks. They are taking those
dollars off of the top of the Enhancements program. This is a slap in
the face of every representative who has brought a good ped or bike
project to their district! Our state & federal representatives work
their butts off to deliver something good for their constituents,
then WisDOT turns around and penalizes the constituents (and their
reps) by taking away Enhancements in an amount equal to the earmark.
They don't do this when a highway is delivered as pork, however. The
insult and the double standard must end.
4. A Transportation Enhancements project must be defined, for the
most part, as dedicated bicycle and pedestrian rights-of-way with a
transportation purpose. That is to say, paved shoulders and shrubbery
(or other beautification) should no longer count toward the 10% of
STP for Enhancements.
5. No more than 10% of Transportation Enhancements should be meted
out for earmarks for other than bike & ped-specific funding (museums,
tourist info centers & such).
Thanks again for your help on this.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Barrett
2137 Sommers Ave.
Madison WI 53704
(608)245-1059
P.s. Could you zap me a quick email letting me know you got this?
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