July 2011 Archives
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism announced recently that the area has been awarded the opportunity to host two prestigious travel writer conferences. "Both the Midwest Travel Writers Association (MTWA) and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) are outstanding organizations with top-notch professionals," said Herb Malone, president/CEO of the CVB. "By hosting these two groups within six months of each other, we will take our public relations efforts to the next plateau. We are honored to have been entrusted with these tasks as we make plans to host the crème-de-la-crème of travel writers." Malone added that "after seeing the list of other destinations that have previously hosted these groups, we feel our family-orientated destination has been placed in very humbling company. These groups will generate a significant amount of positive press coverage as well bringing prestige to our destination, and I am proud of our Public Relations Manager Kim Chapman for her hard work on these two conferences."
Set for October 12-16, 2011, the MTWA conference will provide approximately 40 journalists who live in the Midwest with the opportunity to explore the area's family-oriented beach destination during the 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival. "Our members are looking forward to experiencing Alabama's white-sand beaches," said Mary Lu Laffey, MTWA president. "And we're eager to discover all the other wonderful sites and attractions in the area." Founded 60 years ago in Chicago, MTWA is America's oldest professional travel journalist organization. While all the members live and work in 13 Midwest states, their stories and publications span the globe. This meeting will be the organization's second visit to Alabama; it met in Huntsville in 2000.
Then in the spring, the area will welcome 25 members of the SATW for its mid-year board meeting from April 11-14, 2012. "The SATW Board of Directors looks forward to meeting at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach," said SATW President-Elect Betsa Marsh. "After we conduct SATW business, we will explore the region for story and photo opportunities and bring our keen travelers' eyes and insights to help promote this amazing destination." Along the same lines, Barbara Ware, board manager for SATW President-Elect Marsh, added that "I am thrilled to bring our esteemed group of travel writers to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. I had never been to this area and on the site visit, I knew after the first few hours, this is a great place for our SATW Board of Directors to meet. The beautiful white sand, the fabulous array of restaurants, and the awesome Gulf Shores and Orange Beach staff won us over. We are excited to be coming to the area." The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) promotes responsible journalism, provides professional development for its members, and encourages the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide. The Society's more than 1,200 members include journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media specialists, film lecturers, television and film producers, and travel industry public relations representatives. SATW members maintain the industry's highest professional and ethical standards, and their dedication and experience represent the Society's commitment to journalistic integrity and credibility. SATW truly comprises "Travel's Most Trusted Voices."
"Through these two meetings, we will show the writers unique story ideas along the Alabama Gulf Coast, which will ultimately be included in articles covering our target markets across the Southeast and Midwest," Malone said. "It's a win-win situation times two."
For more information on Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism please see www.gulfshores.com.
Set for October 12-16, 2011, the MTWA conference will provide approximately 40 journalists who live in the Midwest with the opportunity to explore the area's family-oriented beach destination during the 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival. "Our members are looking forward to experiencing Alabama's white-sand beaches," said Mary Lu Laffey, MTWA president. "And we're eager to discover all the other wonderful sites and attractions in the area." Founded 60 years ago in Chicago, MTWA is America's oldest professional travel journalist organization. While all the members live and work in 13 Midwest states, their stories and publications span the globe. This meeting will be the organization's second visit to Alabama; it met in Huntsville in 2000.
Then in the spring, the area will welcome 25 members of the SATW for its mid-year board meeting from April 11-14, 2012. "The SATW Board of Directors looks forward to meeting at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach," said SATW President-Elect Betsa Marsh. "After we conduct SATW business, we will explore the region for story and photo opportunities and bring our keen travelers' eyes and insights to help promote this amazing destination." Along the same lines, Barbara Ware, board manager for SATW President-Elect Marsh, added that "I am thrilled to bring our esteemed group of travel writers to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. I had never been to this area and on the site visit, I knew after the first few hours, this is a great place for our SATW Board of Directors to meet. The beautiful white sand, the fabulous array of restaurants, and the awesome Gulf Shores and Orange Beach staff won us over. We are excited to be coming to the area." The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) promotes responsible journalism, provides professional development for its members, and encourages the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide. The Society's more than 1,200 members include journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media specialists, film lecturers, television and film producers, and travel industry public relations representatives. SATW members maintain the industry's highest professional and ethical standards, and their dedication and experience represent the Society's commitment to journalistic integrity and credibility. SATW truly comprises "Travel's Most Trusted Voices."
"Through these two meetings, we will show the writers unique story ideas along the Alabama Gulf Coast, which will ultimately be included in articles covering our target markets across the Southeast and Midwest," Malone said. "It's a win-win situation times two."
For more information on Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism please see www.gulfshores.com.
The 2011 Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism was held July 23-26 at the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa in Florence. Members of the tourism industry from across the state joined together to discuss the trends and future outlook of the travel industry. The event concluded with the Annual Alabama Tourism Awards which honors outstanding achievements in the state's tourism industry.
The Alabama Tourism Department coordinates the awards program. The 14 winners are as follows:
Government Advocate Award - Senator Arthur Orr
Media Advocate Award - Mary Colurso, The Birmingham News
Organization of the Year - Alabama Mountain Lakes Association
Attraction of the Year - Barber Motorsports Park & Museum
Event of the Year- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Tourism Executive of the Year- Judy Ryals, Huntsville/Madison County CVB
Tourism Employee of the Year - Ron McConnell, Mobile CVB
Alabama Tourism Department Employee of the Year - Frances Smiley
Partnership Award - Tuscaloosa CVB
Welcome Center of the Year - Cleburne
Theme Campaign - Alabama State Council on the Arts
Rising Star Award - Kayla Riggs, Decatur CVB
Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame - Doug Purcell
Director's Award - FAME Recording Studios
For more information on each category and the winners please see the Alabama Tourism Department press room at www.alabama.travel/media-room/press-releases/.
The Alabama Tourism Department coordinates the awards program. The 14 winners are as follows:
Government Advocate Award - Senator Arthur Orr
Media Advocate Award - Mary Colurso, The Birmingham News
Organization of the Year - Alabama Mountain Lakes Association
Attraction of the Year - Barber Motorsports Park & Museum
Event of the Year- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Tourism Executive of the Year- Judy Ryals, Huntsville/Madison County CVB
Tourism Employee of the Year - Ron McConnell, Mobile CVB
Alabama Tourism Department Employee of the Year - Frances Smiley
Partnership Award - Tuscaloosa CVB
Welcome Center of the Year - Cleburne
Theme Campaign - Alabama State Council on the Arts
Rising Star Award - Kayla Riggs, Decatur CVB
Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame - Doug Purcell
Director's Award - FAME Recording Studios
For more information on each category and the winners please see the Alabama Tourism Department press room at www.alabama.travel/media-room/press-releases/.
The U.S. Travel Association has named Lee Sentell and two others as finalists for the State Tourism Director of the Year Award. The award will be presented in Salt Lake City next month. Sentell, appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley in January, is in his ninth year as director of the Alabama Tourism Department. The other finalists announced are George Zimmermann of Michigan and Sara Otte Coleman of North Dakota. USTA spokesman Patton Wood said the criteria includes program development, trade and consumer response, and professional skills.
Reducing state and local tourism marketing programs in the name of saving taxpayer dollars impedes economic growth, according to new research conducted by Longwoods International and commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association. A comprehensive analysis of recent campaigns by the State of Michigan and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) reveals that tourism marketing programs drive greater visitation, generate new tax dollars and create jobs for states and local communities. "There's a reason that America's most prominent brands continue to increase their marketing budgets: it works," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "This study proves that destinations must operate like Nike, Apple and similar businesses that have followed the marketing path to success. Substantial cuts to destination marketing programs are counterproductive and will have long-term negative economic consequences." The research proves that destination marketing programs generate more tax revenue than they cost by driving substantial increases in visitation and spending in local communities.
"Legislators are ignoring basic economics if they slash destination marketing programs," said the report's author, Bill Siegel, founder and CEO of Longwoods International. "The return on investment of destination marketing programs is significant and nearly immediate." After inconsistent promotion efforts for decades, the Pure Michigan state promotion campaign began regionally in 2006 and went national in 2009. The powerful and non-traditional storytelling of Pure Michigan has stimulated 7.2 million trips to Michigan by out-of-state visitors. Those visitors spent $2 billion at Michigan businesses and generated $138 million in new tax revenue for Michigan - more than three times the cost of the advertising itself. In 2010, the second year of national Pure Michigan advertising, spending by out-of-state leisure visitors jumped 21%, from 2009 to $6.4 billion. At the same time, Michigan tourism-related employment rose by 10,000 jobs. While facing a large deficit and forcing significant cuts to entitlement programs, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder nonetheless added $10 million in additional funding to the Pure Michigan campaign in 2011, stating: "It brought in more tax revenue than it has cost our state."
In Philadelphia, a 1995 report by The Pew Charitable Trusts identified leisure travel as a potential replacement industry for lost manufacturing jobs. This led to the creation of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation in 1996 by Pew, the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to promote the region to leisure travelers. Through a sustained marketing program over the last 15 years, Philadelphia's image has transformed and visitation has surged, delivering returns to the city and state. "Fifteen years ago, Philadelphia was considered a two-hour stop," said Meryl Levitz, founding president and CEO of GPTMC. "Then we became on overnight sensation, and now we are a premier destination where visitors stay for multiple days and come back several times a year." Since 1997, overnight visitation to Greater Philadelphia has grown 66 percent, six times faster than the national growth rate of 11 percent. GPTMC's most recent campaign began in 2009 in the midst of the deepest and longest economic downturn since the Great Depression. With a budget of just $4.3 million in 2009/2010, With Love, Philadelphia XOXO generated 3.7 million incremental trips to the Philadelphia region, injecting $432 million in visitor spending and $24 million in new state tax revenue and $22 million to local governments. The marketing program also generated over 7,000 additional jobs for Greater Philadelphia at a reasonable cost of $600 in advertising for each job created.
According to the U.S. Travel Association's 2009 annual Survey of State Tourism Office Budgets, 31 states cut funding for tourism advertising and marketing by 13 percent, or $52.7 million, between 2008 and 2009. The state of Washington closed its tourism office in June 2011, harkening back to Colorado's decision to abolish its marketing program in 1993 due to budget constraints. According to a landmark study by Longwoods International, Colorado eventually lost more than 30 percent of its share of domestic visitors and more than $2 billion annually in visitor spending. With funding for Colorado's marketing program now restored, the state treasury sees a 12:1 return on marketing investment, and trips to Colorado have rebounded to record levels.
To read the complete study please see https://images.magnetmail.net/images/clients/UST_PRESS/attach/Power_of_Destination_Marketing_2011.pdf.
"Legislators are ignoring basic economics if they slash destination marketing programs," said the report's author, Bill Siegel, founder and CEO of Longwoods International. "The return on investment of destination marketing programs is significant and nearly immediate." After inconsistent promotion efforts for decades, the Pure Michigan state promotion campaign began regionally in 2006 and went national in 2009. The powerful and non-traditional storytelling of Pure Michigan has stimulated 7.2 million trips to Michigan by out-of-state visitors. Those visitors spent $2 billion at Michigan businesses and generated $138 million in new tax revenue for Michigan - more than three times the cost of the advertising itself. In 2010, the second year of national Pure Michigan advertising, spending by out-of-state leisure visitors jumped 21%, from 2009 to $6.4 billion. At the same time, Michigan tourism-related employment rose by 10,000 jobs. While facing a large deficit and forcing significant cuts to entitlement programs, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder nonetheless added $10 million in additional funding to the Pure Michigan campaign in 2011, stating: "It brought in more tax revenue than it has cost our state."
In Philadelphia, a 1995 report by The Pew Charitable Trusts identified leisure travel as a potential replacement industry for lost manufacturing jobs. This led to the creation of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation in 1996 by Pew, the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to promote the region to leisure travelers. Through a sustained marketing program over the last 15 years, Philadelphia's image has transformed and visitation has surged, delivering returns to the city and state. "Fifteen years ago, Philadelphia was considered a two-hour stop," said Meryl Levitz, founding president and CEO of GPTMC. "Then we became on overnight sensation, and now we are a premier destination where visitors stay for multiple days and come back several times a year." Since 1997, overnight visitation to Greater Philadelphia has grown 66 percent, six times faster than the national growth rate of 11 percent. GPTMC's most recent campaign began in 2009 in the midst of the deepest and longest economic downturn since the Great Depression. With a budget of just $4.3 million in 2009/2010, With Love, Philadelphia XOXO generated 3.7 million incremental trips to the Philadelphia region, injecting $432 million in visitor spending and $24 million in new state tax revenue and $22 million to local governments. The marketing program also generated over 7,000 additional jobs for Greater Philadelphia at a reasonable cost of $600 in advertising for each job created.
According to the U.S. Travel Association's 2009 annual Survey of State Tourism Office Budgets, 31 states cut funding for tourism advertising and marketing by 13 percent, or $52.7 million, between 2008 and 2009. The state of Washington closed its tourism office in June 2011, harkening back to Colorado's decision to abolish its marketing program in 1993 due to budget constraints. According to a landmark study by Longwoods International, Colorado eventually lost more than 30 percent of its share of domestic visitors and more than $2 billion annually in visitor spending. With funding for Colorado's marketing program now restored, the state treasury sees a 12:1 return on marketing investment, and trips to Colorado have rebounded to record levels.
To read the complete study please see https://images.magnetmail.net/images/clients/UST_PRESS/attach/Power_of_Destination_Marketing_2011.pdf.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announces the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Housing Preservation Grant Program. This program is available for residents of rural areas whose incomes fall into the low and very low income categories and who need assistance to repair or rehabilitate their homes. An area is considered rural if it is populated with 20,000 people or less. Urban area residents would not be eligible for the program. Nonprofits, local governments, and Native American tribes can receive the grant funding to repair the properties of these residents. Grant funding is not provided to individuals. The deadline to submit the pre-application is August 22, 2011.
NOFA - Housing Preservation Grants
Notice of Funding Availability: Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2011.
FY 2011 Pre-application for Housing Preservation Grants
The Section 533 HPG Pre-application form may be accessed from this site and submitted electronically. You may also contact the State Office in the state the project is located for hard-copy forms. Hard copy pre-applications and additional materials can be mailed to the State Office with your complete application package.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) will host Birmingham's first-ever Nelson Mandela International Day celebration on Monday, July 18 from noon to 8:00 p.m. in historic Kelly Ingram Park. "Our first-ever Nelson Mandela International Day celebration supports our mission to educate people about human rights globally," said BCRI president & CEO, Lawrence J. Pijeaux, Jr. "The exchange program provides a unique opportunity for the Birmingham community to learn about the parallels between the South African freedom struggle and its leaders and the civil rights movement." Birmingham's Mandela Day celebration will be a free family festival and cultural exchange featuring music, dancers, vendors, a children's village, free admission to BCRI galleries and a "67 Minutes" Booth where festival-goers will sign up through Hands-On-Birmingham to commit to community service in our area.
The event will feature visitors from South Africa - especially ten youth and three chaperones from Johannesburg who will be in Birmingham as participants in a project partnership between BCRI and the Apartheid Museum and Mandela House Museum in South Africa. The International Legacy Youth Leadership project has enabled youth in Birmingham and South Africa to study one another's histories and cultures and visit each other's countries. They have focused on the roles played by youth in bringing social and political change to the United States, through the Civil Rights Movement, and to South Africa as a result of the global anti-apartheid struggle. An evening program to close out Mandela Day will feature music and dance, as well as comments from local officials. A highlight will be presentations by the youth from Johannesburg and Birmingham.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, which promotes Mandela Day, explains that, "Nelson Mandela International Day is a call to action for people everywhere to take responsibility for making the world a better place, one small step at a time, just as Nelson Mandela did." In November 2009 the United Nations declared 18 July, Mandela's birthday, as Nelson Mandela International Day and since then the day has been marked with acts of goodwill in communities throughout the world.
For more information please see www.bcri.org.
The event will feature visitors from South Africa - especially ten youth and three chaperones from Johannesburg who will be in Birmingham as participants in a project partnership between BCRI and the Apartheid Museum and Mandela House Museum in South Africa. The International Legacy Youth Leadership project has enabled youth in Birmingham and South Africa to study one another's histories and cultures and visit each other's countries. They have focused on the roles played by youth in bringing social and political change to the United States, through the Civil Rights Movement, and to South Africa as a result of the global anti-apartheid struggle. An evening program to close out Mandela Day will feature music and dance, as well as comments from local officials. A highlight will be presentations by the youth from Johannesburg and Birmingham.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, which promotes Mandela Day, explains that, "Nelson Mandela International Day is a call to action for people everywhere to take responsibility for making the world a better place, one small step at a time, just as Nelson Mandela did." In November 2009 the United Nations declared 18 July, Mandela's birthday, as Nelson Mandela International Day and since then the day has been marked with acts of goodwill in communities throughout the world.
For more information please see www.bcri.org.
Extra tourism marketing, a strong demand for vacations and falling gasoline prices should combine for a strong summer travel season, according to Alabama tourism director Lee Sentell. "If the Fourth of July beach traffic is any indication, the state could fully recover this summer from the lingering effects of last year's BP oil spill," said Sentell. "Beach promoter Herb Malone has alerted Gulf Shores and Orange Beach officials to be prepared for the biggest weekend in history." Officials there expect that nearly all of the 17,000 condo and hotel rooms and 2,500 RV sites will be occupied through Monday, with many guests staying through next weekend. In addition, music concerts are scheduled for the next few weekends to attract even more tourists to Gulf beaches.
"Having the Fourth of July fall on a Monday has encouraged people all over the South to plan road trips to visit friends and families and seek out festivals and fireworks," Sentell said. "This is especially important for beach tourism." Gasoline prices have fallen more than 40 cents in the past four weeks in the Midwest, said Sentell, removing a possible deterrent to car travel for families. Using $3.5 million provided by BP, the state tourism department has aired commercials in cities from Baton Rouge to Atlanta that showcase Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island. BP funds were also used to stage the second annual Hangout Festival that attracted 40,000 music fans the weekend before Memorial Day. Similar funds drew fans to a concert of "oldies" musicians at Dauphin Island in June. Some potential tourists have been discouraged from beach vacations in recent years because of storms and the national economy. Sentell said there is a lot of pent-up demand among travelers and many of them are deciding they have waited long enough.
"Having the Fourth of July fall on a Monday has encouraged people all over the South to plan road trips to visit friends and families and seek out festivals and fireworks," Sentell said. "This is especially important for beach tourism." Gasoline prices have fallen more than 40 cents in the past four weeks in the Midwest, said Sentell, removing a possible deterrent to car travel for families. Using $3.5 million provided by BP, the state tourism department has aired commercials in cities from Baton Rouge to Atlanta that showcase Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island. BP funds were also used to stage the second annual Hangout Festival that attracted 40,000 music fans the weekend before Memorial Day. Similar funds drew fans to a concert of "oldies" musicians at Dauphin Island in June. Some potential tourists have been discouraged from beach vacations in recent years because of storms and the national economy. Sentell said there is a lot of pent-up demand among travelers and many of them are deciding they have waited long enough.
More than 1,000 people participated in the Alabama Tourism Department's June Walking Tours this summer. Some 27 towns across Alabama hosted the tours across the state. Local community leaders lead the free tours through the historic districts or courthouse square areas of their hometowns each Saturday morning in June. Towns with the most participants included Fairhope with 191, Athens with 123 and Tuscumbia with 90. The tours were coordinated by Brian Jones with the Alabama Tourism Department. "We had great participation this year. Alabama continues to be the only state in the nation to hold a program of statewide, simultaneous walking tours," Jones said.
Participating towns are being polled to ask if they want to continue to hold the tours in June or move them to April for next year. Walking Tour towns are asked to respond by July 15 to brian.jones@tourism.alabama.gov with their preference for April or May walking tours for 2012. Results of the poll will be announced at the Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism later this month.
Participating towns are being polled to ask if they want to continue to hold the tours in June or move them to April for next year. Walking Tour towns are asked to respond by July 15 to brian.jones@tourism.alabama.gov with their preference for April or May walking tours for 2012. Results of the poll will be announced at the Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism later this month.
A healthy population is the cornerstone of a strong economy, and good health begins in childhood. Addressing critical health challenges, particularly those affecting children, not only improves a community's quality of life but also helps build a healthy, stable workforce for the future.
The Appalachian Regional Commission's September 2011 Healthy Families: Healthy Future conference will bring together health experts and community leaders to examine key health issues and highlight successful health-care programs in Appalachia, with a special focus on children and families.
Concurrent session topics will include:
* Expanding health-care access for children
* Creating community-based approaches to disease prevention
* Preventing substance abuse among adolescents
* Supporting initiatives to lower rates of obesity and diabetes
* Improving children's oral health
* Using information technology to improve the quality of health care
* Promoting health-care workforce development initiatives
Register now
Join your colleagues for this opportunity to learn how your community can build a strong foundation for a healthier future!
The conference will be held September 7-9 at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, an area known for its recreational opportunities and heritage attractions. Conference events include a musical performance by the Mountain Arts Center's Kentucky Opry.
Visit the conference Web site for agenda and accommodations information and to register!
The Appalachian Regional Commission's September 2011 Healthy Families: Healthy Future conference will bring together health experts and community leaders to examine key health issues and highlight successful health-care programs in Appalachia, with a special focus on children and families.
Concurrent session topics will include:
* Expanding health-care access for children
* Creating community-based approaches to disease prevention
* Preventing substance abuse among adolescents
* Supporting initiatives to lower rates of obesity and diabetes
* Improving children's oral health
* Using information technology to improve the quality of health care
* Promoting health-care workforce development initiatives
Register now
Join your colleagues for this opportunity to learn how your community can build a strong foundation for a healthier future!
The conference will be held September 7-9 at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, an area known for its recreational opportunities and heritage attractions. Conference events include a musical performance by the Mountain Arts Center's Kentucky Opry.
Visit the conference Web site for agenda and accommodations information and to register!
Key Congressional leaders are attacking Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements and Recreational trails and are taking steps to cut off dedicated federal funding for bicycling and walking. We need every single person who simply wants safe options to walk or bicycle to contact their Senators and Representative today!
House Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-FL) announced today that his transportation bill will eliminate dedicated funding for bicycling and walking, including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program, and discourage states from choosing to spend their dollars on these activities that are "not in the federal interest." Chairman Mica's statement that these programs remain "eligible" for funding is worthless; without dedicated funding for these three programs, they are effectively eliminated.
Things on the Senate side are not much better. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican negotiator on the transportation bill, declared that one of his TOP THREE priorities for the transportation bill is to eliminate 'frivolous spending for bike trails.' This is in direct conflict with Senator Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) commitment to maintain dedicated funding for biking and walking. However, the Senate is working towards a bi-partisan solution, and Senator Inhofe's comments mean funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs is at risk of total elimination.
Help protect Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails. Contact your Members of Congress , and tell them to reach out to Senators Inhofe, Boxer, and Congressman Mica to urge them to continue dedicated funding for these important bicycling and walking programs.
Need some good facts to bolster your argument? Read on:
Not in the federal interest? Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips in the US - even as funding for biking and walking projects only accounts for 1.5% of the federal transportation budget. That is more than 4 billion bicycle trips and 40 billion walking trips a year, including trips to work, school, shopping and for recreation and tourism.
Frivolous? Two-thirds of all pedestrian deaths are on federally funded highways. One-third of children's traffic deaths happen when children are walking or bicycling and are struck by cars. Bicycling and walking programs build sidewalks, crosswalks and bikeways--improving accessibility and saving lives.
The Facts
Biking and walking are important forms of transportation, and funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements is a very efficient use of federal transportation dollars. Portland, OR built 300 miles of bike lanes and trails for the cost of one mile of highway.
These projects create jobs and build local economies. Building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure creates 46% more jobs than building road-only projects per million dollars spent. Cities that invest in bicycle and pedestrian projects turn downtowns into destinations, and capitalize on increased business activity.
Eliminating the 1.5% of transportation funding spent on bike/ped would have no meaningful impact on the federal budget, but instead, decreases transportation options for American families in a time of rising gas prices and an uncertain economy.
Why Act Now? Both the House and Senate long-term transportation bills are being written as we speak. We still have a chance of influencing the outcomes. Let's make sure that funding for biking and walking programs don't disappear for many years.
We need every Senator to tell Senators Boxer and Inhofe that bicycling and walking are vital parts of our transportation system, and that there must be dedicated funding for sidewalks, bike lanes and trails to ensure that bicyclists and pedestrians are safe. And we need every Representative in the House to tell Chairman Mica the same.
Please contact your Senators and Representatives TODAY to tell them that bicycling and walking are a critical part of a safe and equitable transportation system. Ask them to tell Representative Mica and Senators Boxer and Inhofe that a federal transportation bill must continue dedicated funding for bicycling and walking.
House Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-FL) announced today that his transportation bill will eliminate dedicated funding for bicycling and walking, including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program, and discourage states from choosing to spend their dollars on these activities that are "not in the federal interest." Chairman Mica's statement that these programs remain "eligible" for funding is worthless; without dedicated funding for these three programs, they are effectively eliminated.
Things on the Senate side are not much better. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican negotiator on the transportation bill, declared that one of his TOP THREE priorities for the transportation bill is to eliminate 'frivolous spending for bike trails.' This is in direct conflict with Senator Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) commitment to maintain dedicated funding for biking and walking. However, the Senate is working towards a bi-partisan solution, and Senator Inhofe's comments mean funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs is at risk of total elimination.
Help protect Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails. Contact your Members of Congress , and tell them to reach out to Senators Inhofe, Boxer, and Congressman Mica to urge them to continue dedicated funding for these important bicycling and walking programs.
Need some good facts to bolster your argument? Read on:
Not in the federal interest? Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips in the US - even as funding for biking and walking projects only accounts for 1.5% of the federal transportation budget. That is more than 4 billion bicycle trips and 40 billion walking trips a year, including trips to work, school, shopping and for recreation and tourism.
Frivolous? Two-thirds of all pedestrian deaths are on federally funded highways. One-third of children's traffic deaths happen when children are walking or bicycling and are struck by cars. Bicycling and walking programs build sidewalks, crosswalks and bikeways--improving accessibility and saving lives.
The Facts
Biking and walking are important forms of transportation, and funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements is a very efficient use of federal transportation dollars. Portland, OR built 300 miles of bike lanes and trails for the cost of one mile of highway.
These projects create jobs and build local economies. Building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure creates 46% more jobs than building road-only projects per million dollars spent. Cities that invest in bicycle and pedestrian projects turn downtowns into destinations, and capitalize on increased business activity.
Eliminating the 1.5% of transportation funding spent on bike/ped would have no meaningful impact on the federal budget, but instead, decreases transportation options for American families in a time of rising gas prices and an uncertain economy.
Why Act Now? Both the House and Senate long-term transportation bills are being written as we speak. We still have a chance of influencing the outcomes. Let's make sure that funding for biking and walking programs don't disappear for many years.
We need every Senator to tell Senators Boxer and Inhofe that bicycling and walking are vital parts of our transportation system, and that there must be dedicated funding for sidewalks, bike lanes and trails to ensure that bicyclists and pedestrians are safe. And we need every Representative in the House to tell Chairman Mica the same.
Please contact your Senators and Representatives TODAY to tell them that bicycling and walking are a critical part of a safe and equitable transportation system. Ask them to tell Representative Mica and Senators Boxer and Inhofe that a federal transportation bill must continue dedicated funding for bicycling and walking.
