Dear Members of Congress,

On behalf of the undersigned organizations and our millions of members and supporters, we write to express support for the Connecting America’s Active Transportation System Act. This bill will provide direct federal competitive grants to governments to build safe and connected walking and biking routes. Just as highways and rails must be connected into functional systems to achieve their objectives, walking and biking routes provide far greater returns when we fill in the gaps between existing facilities.

The reauthorization of the FAST Act provides an opportunity to create safe and affordable routes to meet the mobility needs of all Americans while enhancing the public health and economic well-being of rural, suburban and urban communities. The Connecting America’s Active Transportation System Act cosponsored by Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Kamala Harris (Calif.), and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), in the Senate, and Reps. Jared Huffman (Calif.-2), Daniel Lipinski (Ill.-3) and Chris Pappas (N.H.-1) in the House; will provide $500 million per year of funding for active transportation networks to connect routine destinations within regions and to connect between communities and across state lines.

Nearly half of all trips Americans take are within a 20-minute bicycle ride and more than 20 percent of all trips are within a 20-minute walk. Shifting some of these short trips from driving to walking and bicycling can cost effectively reduce pollution and traffic congestion, while increasing physical activity levels and enhancing mobility for people with disabilities. The Non- motorized Pilot Project established by Congress in SAFETEA-LU demonstrated that such mode shift occurs when active transportation facilities are connected and promoted.

The reauthorization of the FAST Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to prioritize active transportation networks to give people access to affordable, safe and healthy mobility options. Current federal programs are essential to provide resources for individual walking and biking projects, but completing America’s active transportation system will take far too many decades without supplemental federal investment focused on seeding a federal/state/local partnership to connect existing facilities within and between regions.

Congress has the opportunity now to provide strategically focused investment that will meet burgeoning demand to connect safe walking and biking routes to everyday destinations and complete the nation’s active transportation system.

Please include the Connecting America’s Active Transportation System Act in the transportation reauthorization bill that you are currently developing.

Sincerely,

Virginia Sullivan Kate Kraft Monte Ward Adventure Cycling America Walks American College of Sports Medicine

Don Hoppert Roxanne Blackwell Mike Passo American Public Health Association American Society of American Trails Landscape Architects

Billy Altom Carol Tyson Dennis Markatos-Soriano Association of Programs for Rural Disability Rights Education Independent Living and Defense Fund

Bill Nesper Eric Buehlmann Brittney Kohler League of American Bicyclists National Disability Rights National League of Cities Network

Ann Shikany Charles Cooper Chione Flegal Natural Resources Defense People for Bikes PolicyLink Council

Laura Torchio Kevin Mills Cassandra Isidro Project for Public Spaces Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership

Beth Osborne Kevin McIntyre Kyle Simpson Transportation for America Trust for America’s Health National Recreation and Parks Association

Patricia Rojas-Ungar Christopher Coes Outdoor Industry Association LOCUS

Beth Nordlund Kevin Purdy Executive Director Chief Officer Anchorage Park Foundation Trailsnet.com Anchorage, AK Louisville, CO

Felix Rivera Barbara Brow Assembly Member Chair Municipality of Anchorage East Haven Shoreline Greenway Trail Anchorage, AK East Haven, CT Laurie Blount Recreation Director Rosario Ritter City of Valley Chairperson Valley, AL Portland Air Line Trail Committee Portland, CT Will O’Connor Executive Director Perry Padgett River Region Trails President Montgomery, AL Park to Park Bike Path Committee Dunnellon, FL James Coffman President Kay Ehas Coffman Studio Chief Executive Officer Tempe, AZ Groundwork Jacksonville, Inc. Jacksonville, FL Maria C. Cruz Vice Mayor Bertram Shaw City of San Luis Advocacy Director San Luis, AZ North Bicycle Club Jacksonville, FL Timothy Crum President Craig Manchen Foresthill Trails Alliance President Foresthill, CA Naples Pathways Coalition Naples, FL Karen Underwood Board Vice President J. Westol Humboldt Trails Council Middle School Athletic Coordinator Hydesville, CA St. John Lutheran School Ocala, FL Lynn Deedler President Rebecca Afonso Sebastopol TrailMakers Executive Director Sebastopol, CA Florida Bicycle Association Oldsmar, FL

Henry Lawrence John Jacobs Co-Chair Member Green Party of Bay Friends of the Mariner Trail Panama City, FL Germantown Hills, IL

Mari Chael Terry Hannan Chair Superintendent Green Mobility Network Dekalb County Forest Preserve District South Miami, FL Sycamore, IL

Elliot Caldwell Deanna Spidel Executive Director Treasurer Georgia Bikes Noble Trails, Inc. Athens, GA Rome City, IN

Anna Gray John Bawcum Public Policy Director President Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Friends of the Panhandle Pathway Des Moines, IA Winamac, IN

George Fero Heather Clish Vice President Director of Conservation and Recreation Policy Gateway East Trails Appalachian Mountain Club Lebanon, IA , MA

Ron Kroll Stephen Donnelly Mayor Clerk City of Shelby Friends of the Manhan Shelby, IA Easthampton, MA

Rebecca Castle Jim Tozza Wabash Trace Nature Trail Secretary President Bike to the Sea Shenanadoah, IA Saugus, MA

Douglas Monieson Chip Wood UICO LLC Engineer (Retired) CEO and Executive Chairman Civil War Rail-Trail Chicago, IL Hagerstown, MD

Joel Maurer Rachelle Apse Co-Chairman for Active Transportation Executive Director Live Healthy DeKalb County Presumpscot Regional Land Trust DeKalb, IL Gorham, ME

Jed Maker Helen Pilling President Vice President Friends for the Betsie Valley Trail Rails to Trails of NW Montana Beulah, MI Kila, MT

John Morrison Gene Townsend Executive Director Director West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition Headways Trail System Grand Rapids, MI Three Forks, MT

Curtis Wright Chuck Griffith Chairman President Polly Ann Trailway Management Council Nebraska Trails Foundation Oxford, MI Central City, NE

Todd Scott Jason Buss Executive Director Board Member Detroit Greenways Coalition Platte PEER Group Royal Oak, MI Central City, NE

Melody Moody Thortis Kristen Ferguson Team Leader/Administrator Treasurer Bike Walk Mississippi Cowboy Trail West, Inc. Jackson, MS Gordon, NE

Tom McCarthy Rick Chatham Director Blueway Coordinator Chesterfield Parks, Recreation and Arts Elkin Valley Trails Chesterfield, MO Elkin, NC

Annette Triplett Joe Sanders Chief Executive Officer Vice President PedNet Coalition Blue Ridge Bicycle Club Columbia, MO Henderson, NC

Greg Harris Tom Christensen Executive Director Director Missouri Rock Island Trail New Hampshire Rail Trail Coalition Rolla, MO Amherst, NH

Bob Walker Marianne Borowski Board Chair Founder Montana Trails Coalition Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail Clancy, MT Glen, NH

Bob Takash Michelle Yost President Watershed Coordinator Edison Greenways Group Greene County Soil & Water Conservation New Brunswick, NJ Tannersville, NY

Jeffrey Hankinson Nick Bove Trail Steward President Summit Parkline Foundation Windham Area Recreation Foundation Summit, NJ Windham, NY

Janet Phillips Michael Fornataro President Executive Director Tahoe-Pyramid Trail Buckeye Lake Regional Corporation Reno, NV Buckeye Lake, OH

Don Doorbos Brent Devitt Board of Directors President Southern Tier Bicycle Club Bergamo Center for Lifelong Learning Binghamton, NY Dayton, OH

Bob Beck Andrew Brown Chair, Rail Trail Task Force Director Town of Dryden Sandusky County Park District Dryden, NY Fremont, OH

Robin Dropkin Joe Ebel Executive Director Policy Committee Chair Parks & Trails Ohio Public Health Association East Chatham, NY Newark. OH

Peter Belizzi Jeff Ritter President President Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association Bike Buckeye Lake Highland, NY Thornville, OH

Ted Griese Wayne Wiebke Operations Manager President Kingston Land Trust Friends of the Yamhelas Westsider Trail Kingston, NY McMinnville, OR

Thomas Holmes Joe Craig Board Member President Chenango Greenway Conservancy Friends of Eastside Trails Norwich, NY Silverton, OR

Stacy Woomer Ned Barrett Secretary Trail Coordinator Broad Top Township, PA Partners for Active Living Defiance, PA Spartanburg, SC

Malcolm Sias Sherry Dull Board Chairman Senior Transportation Planner Regional Trail Corporation Spartanburg Area Transportation Study Greensburg, PA Spartanburg, SC

Bryan Perry Maxwell Bradley Executive Director Treasurer Alleghany Trail Alliance Friends of the Cumberland River Bicentennial Homestead, PA Trail Ashland City, TN Ron Steffey Owner / Consultant Tulio Bertorini Steffey Trail Connections President Kittanning, PA Memphis Hightailers Bicycle Club Mid-South Trails Association Corey Ellison Memphis, TN Executive Director Susquehanna Greenways Tom Wald Lewisburg, PA Executive Director Red Line Parkway Initiative Kristin Cypher Austin, TX Manager of Planning and Design E. Holdings, Inc Heather McNair Pittsburgh, PA Board President BikeDFW Lynn Conrad Garland, TX Executive Director Rail-Trail Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania Chuck Warnock Union Dale, PA Director of Outreach New Covenant Church Raymond Bieak Kilgore, TX Commissioner Ironton Rail-Trail Jack Neal Whitehall, PA Executive Director Northeast Texas Trail Michael Harakal Paris, TX Mayor Whitehall Township Hank Pickering Whitehall, PA Executive Director Wolfe City Area Parks and Recreation Wolfe City, TX

Bruce Cox Jeff Bohman Parks & Recreation Director Board President Centerville City, UT Peninsula Trails Coalition Centerville, UT Port Angeles, WA

Jonathan Krall Claire Martini Steering Committee Policy Manager Grassroots Alexandria Cascade Bicycle Club Alexandria, VA Seattle, WA

Linwood “Tom” Howard John Jacobs Chairman of the Board Member Tidewater Trails Alliance Friends of the Mariner Trail Hampton, VA Manitowoc, WI

Champe Burnley Veronica Crosier President Program Support Specialist Virginia Bicycling Federation Active Southern West Virginia Richmond, VA Beckley, WV

Silvia Cassano Christopher Owen Program Manager Trail Program Manager Slate Valley Trails Friends of Pathways Poultney, VT Jackson, WY

Tim Young Executive Director Wyoming Pathways Wilson, WY