Meeting With Your Member of Congress: Meeting Talking Points

project
that
improved
safety
for
biking
and
walking,
or
if
there
is
a
particularly
dangerous
intersection
in
your
community
you
could
bring
pictures
and
discuss
that
as
SAFETY.
When
you
cite
a
local
project,
please
mention
any
federal
money
that
was
included
to
help
show
the
importance
of
these
programs.]
a. COST‐EFFECTIVE:
Although
12
percent
of
the
trips
nationally
are
accomplished
by
either
bicycling
or
walking,
the
federal
investment
in
bicycling
and
walking
infrastructure
and
programs
is
minimal—only
about
1.5
percent
of
federal
transportation
spending.
b. BICYCLING
AND
WALKING
BOOST
THE
ECONOMY
OF
OUR
CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT:
[Only
cite
this
point
if
you
have
local
information
on
businesses
or
a
specific
project
in
your
district]
Summarize
and
describe
any
that
apply:
a.
Bicycling
businesses
(i)
The
number
of
bicycle
retail
stores,
jobs,
and
sales
(ii)
Supplier/distributor
businesses,
jobs
and
sales
(if
applicable)
(iii)
Bike
tourism,
events,
or
other
bike
businesses
(if
applicable)
b.
A
local
bicycling
and
walking
infrastructure
project
or
network
that
is
heavily
used.
Explain
how
these
facilities,
or
Transportation
Enhancement
or
Safe
Route
to
School
projects,
have
benefited
the
community
and
the
local
economy,
such
as:
(i)
businesses
that
benefit
from
proximity
to
the
infrastructure;
(ii)
jobs
building
or
maintaining
it;
(iii)
increases
in
real
estate
values
associated
with
the
quality
of
life
and
convenience
benefits
of
the
infrastructure.
c. POPULAR:
Americans
will
make
more
than
4
billion
bike
trips
and
42
billion
walk
trips
this
year.
More
bicycles
will
be
sold
than
cars
and
trucks
combined.
The
U.S.
Census
reports
that
bike
commuting
increased
more
than
40
percent
between
2001
and
2008.
d. PRACTICAL:
Half
of
all
trips
Americans
make
are
three
miles
or
shorter
and
one‐quarter
are
less
than
a
mile.
This
is
an
easy
distance
to
walk
or
pedal—but
only
if
conditions
are
safe.
e. ADDRESSING
SAFETY:

14
percent
of
roadway
fatalities
are
bicyclists
or
pedestrians.

Small
investments
in
improving
roadway
safety
not
only
make
the
road
safer
for
bicyclists
and
pedestrians
but
also
make
drivers
feel
more
comfortable
and
remove
conflicts
among
road
users.
f. HEALTHY:
Health
concerns
related
to
obesity
and
overweight
costs
our
country
$270
billion
per
year
in
increased
medical
costs
and
loss
of
economic
productivity.

A
simple
solution
is
to
build
physical
activity
into
our
lives
by
walking
and
bicycling
more
to
school,
work
and
shops.
g. MONEY‐SAVING:
People
who
bike
or
walk
instead
of
driving
save
money
with
every
two‐wheel
trip.
Bicycling
and
walking
save
the
government
money,
too.
That’s
why
city
and
small
town
mayors
are
working
so
hard
to
promote
active
transportation
and
replace
single‐occupancy
car
trips
that
increase
road
congestion
and
sap
worker
productivity
due
to
time
stuck
in
traffic.
Biking
and
walking
inflict
minimal
wear
and
tear
on
roads
and
bridges,
and
require
only
modest,
inexpensive
parking
facilities.
Every
trip
made
by
biking
or
walking
instead
of
motor
vehicle
helps
reduce
government
spending
on
road
and
parking
infrastructure.