At a time when bicycling and walking represents 12 percent of all trips, dozens of cities are added bikesharing and thousands of schools are implementing Safe Routes to School programs, some in Congress want to take away the small amount of funding Congress invests in bicycling and walking.

We need YOUR help to make sure that Congress doesn’t cut the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding in the next transportation bill.  TAP helps local communities build sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, trails and more.  States and cities rely on the funding from TAP to support Safe Routes to School initiatives throughout the country.  Without TAP, hundreds of millions of dollars for Safe Routes to School, bicycling and walking projects would evaporate.

Fortunately, Senators Cochran (R-MS) and Cardin (D-MD) are teaming up to champion bipartisan support for TAP.  Their new bill, S. 705, the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act, would help make sure that Congress continues to invest a small share of federal transportation dollars in Safe Routes to School, bicycling and walking.  It would also make small changes to strengthen the program—such as making nonprofits eligible, shifting more money to the local level and reducing regulatory burden—and increase funding by 30 percent. Additional background on the bill is on our website.

Please ask your Senators to speak up for TAP by cosponsoring S. 705. With your help, we can build the momentum we need to sustain the Transportation Alternatives Program in the next transportation bill.  The Senate may consider its transportation reauthorization bill in late April—so having the support of your Senators now is essential.