Write to your Representative here: http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60927571

From The League of American Bicyclists:

House Bill Reverses Decades of Progress on Bike/Ped
It’s so much worse than we thought.

Please join us there – it will be essential for cyclists’ concerns to be heard.

METRO invites you to attend a public meeting to review and comment on the Urban Design Guidelines (UDG) for the 2.6-mile Tempe Streetcar project that will serve the downtown and Central Tempe community.

The UDG is a document that will provide the future project designers with guidelines for how the streetcar stops should look, including concepts for seating, lighting, platform paving treatments, canopies, etc.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012
6 – 8 p.m.; presentation at 6:15 p.m.
Tempe Transportation Center, Don Cassano Room
200 E. 5th St., Tempe, 85281

For more information, see: http://www.valleymetro.org/metro_projects_planning/tempe_streetcar/

and http://www.tempe.gov/tim/TempeStreetcar.htm

TBAG will begin a design exercise to develop marketing materials related to bicycling, bike safety, or respectful driving – the specific campaign is still being decided. If you are interested in joining the TBAG team, email Aaron. We will meet with the design studio three times: on Monday, Feb. 6th at 2:30 PM, on Monday, Feb. 13th, at 2:30 PM, and on the 27th, to see the final designs.

The city of Tempe is soliciting feedback from residents, businesses and organizations about a project to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, enhance the streetscape and calm traffic on University Drive

between the Union Pacific Railroad just east of Farmer Avenue and Priest Drive. This project is funded with $1.1 million in federal grant money. If you would like to add your comments and/or see the current project status please visit: http://www.tempe.gov/tim/Traffic/UniversityDr.htm

Some TBAG board members attended the initial meeting on January 12th, and we are very excited about this project and its positive impact on the downtown Tempe area. Let us and the City of Tempe know your ideas. The next public meeting is in March where City officials will present design concepts based on the feedback they have received.

Thursday 1/12 – 6pm @ Westside Multi-Gen Center at 715 W. Fifth Street, Tempe.  http://www.tempe.gov/tim/Traffic/UniversityDr.htm

“The city of Tempe is holding an open house to talk with residents, businesses and organizations about a project to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, enhance the streetscape, and calm traffic on University Drive between Farmer and Priest”

TBAG has been a long time supporter of this project. We’re excited about the possibilities for bike and pedestrian improvements along this very important route. Please make your comments on the online form at the link above, and attend the meeting on Thursday.

The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) has issued a draft report reviewing bike and pedestrian crash data in Maricopa county in order to develop appropriate countermeasures. Please email me at aar...@biketempe.org if you’d like a copy to review. Comments are due on November 15th.

Federal funding for bicycle facilities has been threatened again. Write to your Senator:
http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=55292501&PROCESS=Take+Action

From peopleforbikes.org:

Federal funding for bicycling is under serious attack. Today or tomorrow, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma will introduce an amendment to eliminate dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements, which is the main source of funding for bike projects of all types. We need you to take action today by emailing your U.S. Senators to urge them to oppose and defeat Mr. Coburn’s amendment.

If Senator Coburn’s amendment succeeds, bicycling in the U.S. will become less safe and more difficult. Twenty years of consistent, cost-effective investment in beneficial bike projects will stop.

When we launched peopleforbikes.org, we promised you that we would only ask for your help when we really needed it. This is one of those times.

We need every U.S. Senator to hear from hundreds, if not thousands, of their constituents who value government support for bicycling. A strong vote against Coburn’s amendment will be a convincing statement of how much Congress and Americans value bicycling, and will influence all future votes on bike and pedestrian programs and funding.

Please email your U.S. Senators today and tell them to oppose Coburn’s amendment and preserve funding for bicycling. (You can find your Senators, review basic suggested text for your email, and send your note directly from this link.)

Thanks for your support and your quick response to this call to action.

The deadline for the ADOT 25 year plan survey is this Friday. ADOT’s long range transportation planning process is called What Moves You Arizona, which looks ahead 25 years to determine and prioritize how limited funds should be used throughout the state. These strategies could involve a greater focus on preserving current infrastructure, modernizing and expanding highways, public-private partnerships, and non-highway improvements like those for transit. Visit www.whatmovesyouarizona.gov or go directly to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GTJBWQX