However, there is such a high demand for this type of healthy transportation funding across the state that presently the program is woefully under-funded. $800 million in shovel-ready projects were left unfunded in the latest round of ATP project funding in fall of 2014.

“We know that 20 percent of trips by Californians are on foot or by bicycle, but despite the overwhelming demand for projects that create safer streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, and pathways, the state Active Transportation Program still only receives around one percent of Caltrans’s annual budget,” said Jeanie Ward-Waller, Senior Policy Manager for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. “Last year, 800 grant applications were submitted by communities for projects like these, but fewer than 150 were funded last year due to this funding shortfall.”

California has a tremendous opportunity to double walking and bicycling trips by 2030 by making strategic investments to shift car trips that are less than one mile. 120 organizations are calling on the California legislature to increase funding for the Active Transportation Program by $100 million. The request is being led by a coalition that includes the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, California Bicycle Coalition, California Walks, the Rails to Trails Conservancy, PolicyLink, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, and California Park and Recreation Society. Other organizations supporting are the AARP, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Local Government Commission and Coalition for Clean Air (see full list included below).

“Bicycling is seeing rapid growth in popularity in cities across California, but most places are still not safe enough for everyone who would like to travel by bike,” said Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition. “The ATP has the potential to create safe and attractive bikeways that are easy to navigate in all communities, but not without much greater investment by the State.”

Not only are these projects highly popular, they save the state money. Active transportation projects are cheaper, cleaner, and require less maintenance than car-centric infrastructure. Further, these projects often have an added benefit of boosting local economies as well as demonstrated in the brand new “Safer Streets, Stronger Economies” report by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition. Safe, inviting neighborhood streets become safe and inviting places to shop right in residents’ very own neighborhoods. While many great projects received funding last year, the lack of adequate resources to finance all of the good projects that apply for funding is stagnating the program’s effectiveness in some areas and precluding some areas from gaining access to the program at all.

“In San Francisco, we have ambitious goals to make our streets safe for all road users. We also want to improve congestion, reduce our impact on the environment, and re-invigorate our neighborhoods by encouraging people to walk or bike as transportation. We’ve made progress, but there’s lots of work left to do. Without additional funding from the state, many of our safety projects will be slowed down, putting people’s lives at risk. If the state wants cities to meet the environmental and safety goals they have encouraged us to set, they need to provide the funding to make it possible.” – Tyler Frisbee, Policy Director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

120 organizations support three key asks to improve the ATP:

1. Increase funding for the Active Transportation Program (ATP) by $100 million.
2. Integrate green infrastructure such as shade trees and planers and increase access to parks and green space into ATP projects to make it more comfortable to walk and bike.
3. Ensure substantial ATP investments in projects that provide meaningful benefits to low-income communities.

Those interested in supporting these three asks are urged to add your voice to influence legislators and Governor Brown as budget hearings begin in early April. Please sign in support at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/increaseATPfunding. For more information please contact Jeanie Ward-Waller – Safe Routes to School National Partnership. Tel. 401-241-8559 Email: jeanie@saferoutespartnership.org

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The 120 organization’s supporting the increase in Active Transportation Funding include:

• A World Fit For Kids!
• AARP
• Active4me
• Alliance for a Healthy Orange County
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• American Heart Association
• American Lung Association in California
• Amigos de los Rios
• Asian and Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance
• Ballona Creek Renaissance
• Bike East Bay
• Bike San Gabriel Valley
• C.I.C.L.E.
• California Bicycle Coalition
• California Center for Public Health Advocacy
• California Convergence
• California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
• California Park and Recreation Society
• California Public Health Association-North
• California ReLeaf
• California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF)
• California Student Sustainability Coalition
• California Walks
• Center for Climate Protection
• Central CA Regional Obesity Prevention Program
• ChangeLab Solutions
• Chico Velo Cycling Club
• Circulate San Diego
• City of Highland
• City of Redlands
• City of Santa Monica
• City of South El Monte
• Climate Resolve
• Coalition for Clean Air
• Community Arts Resources
• Community Health Councils
• Community Mobility Work Team
• Cowgirl Bike Courier
• Crenshaw Walks
• Davis Bike Park Alliance
• Distracted Driving Awareness & Complete Streets
• Downtown Pasadena Neighborhood Association
• Durant Avenue Task Force
• Ecology Action
• Environmental Council of Sacramento
• Environmental Justice Program – Catholic Charities, Diocese of Stockton
• Fresno Cycling Club
• Friends of Caltrain
• Friends of El Dorado Trail
• Ghost Bike Foundation
• Go Bike USA
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
• Green Youth Alliance
• Greenbelt Alliance
• Health Education Council
• Housing California
• Inland Empire Biking Alliance
• Investing in Place
• Kids Campus Youth Center
• LA2050
• LAE Associates, Inc.
• Larkspur Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Group
• Lassen Land and Trails Trust
• Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability
• Local Government Commission
• local motion
• Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
• Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
• Los Angeles Organization of Ultimate Teams (LAOUT)
• Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation
• Los Angeles Walks
• Merced Bicycle Coalition
• Mission: Readiness
• Move LA
• Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition
• National Health Foundation
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• NeighborWorks Orange County
• North Natomas TMA
• Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition
• Pathways to Right-of-Ways
• Peninsula Family YMCA
• People Power
• POGO PARK
• PolicyLink
• Prevention Institute
• Public Health Institute
• RAD
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
• Red Bike Medicine
• Redwood Community Action Agency
• Regional Asthma Management and Prevention
• Ron Milam Consulting
• Ryan Snyder Associates
• Safe Routes to School National Partnership
• San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
• San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
• San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition
• Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition
• SF Bay Walks
• Sierra Club California
• Sierra Nevada Alliance
• Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
• Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange
• Sunday Streets/Livable City
• T.R.U.S.T. South LA
• Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway
• The Coalition for Sustainable Transportation
• The L.A. Trust for Children’s Health
• The mob shop
• The Trust for Public Land
• Town of Danville
• Trails for Richmond Action Committee
• TransForm
• TRIPwise, Transportation Solutions for CSU Monterey Bay
• VALLEY LEAP
• Walk ‘n Rollers
• Walk Oakland Bike Oakland
• Walk San Francisco
• WALKSacramento
• Wheelies