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If wisely invested, the federal economic stimulus presents the opportunity to build healthier places for healthier people across the country. |
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Economic Stimulus—Walking and Biking Update:
When Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) received news of a major federal economic stimulus package to create millions of jobs, we recognized an opportunity to transform communities across the country into bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly places. RTC set to work developing a multi-pronged approach to make the most of the stimulus.
We asked you to sign a petition encouraging President-elect Obama and key congressional leaders to explicitly fund walking and biking in this stimulus package. Thank you for answering the call! You surpassed our initial goal of 10,000 signatures by thousands, issuing a resounding call for more walking and biking.
Working with our national and local partners, we also collected from communities across the country a list of ready-to-go bicycle and pedestrian projects that would help jump-start our economy with new clean, green jobs. In total, we collected more than $3.4 billion worth of new bicycle and pedestrian projects that, if funded, will enable people to walk and bike to the places where they live, work, play and learn.
RTC has delivered these project lists, along with a list of your petition signatures, to the offices of President-elect Barack Obama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. We will continue working with these and other congressional offices to ensure they recognize the opportunity the stimulus package represents for green jobs to build healthier places for healthier people.
Read the letter to President-elect Obama's office we sent along with the above lists.
Thank you, again, for your hard work to promote walking and biking all across the country.
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