Missouri Bicycle News

On Wednesday, June 18th, Congressman Oberstar will introduce a bill that includes Safe Routes to School and more.

“PACE” IS GREAT!
Oberstar’s bill is called the Pedestrian and Cycling Equity Act of 2003. It includes Safe Routes to School, grants for active living projects, and money for 3 model communities. The Safe Routes element asks for $250 million a year for both infrastructure and education activities (just what we asked for). Read the language at

http://www.americabikes.org/images/resource/saferouts/PACE.PDF

We’re helping the Congressman’s staff organize a press conference at the Capitol on the 18th. We’ll send you a media advisory by the end of the week, please distribute it widely. We also need your help in lining up co-sponsors for the bill, so be thinking about which of your Reps might jump on board. We’re still fine-tuning our "PACE action plan" so look for more info on lining up co-sponsors in the next week.

PACE is being introduced as a stand-alone bill with the intent that it will be amended into TEA-3 as that bill is debated. PACE offers an opportunity to rally support around Safe Routes so it doesn’t get lost in the jumble of TEA-3. It will be a long road from this introduction to actually getting language approved in TEA-3, but Oberstar is taking the oh-so-important first step. Yahoo.