Your voice is crucial this year for biking and walking. Governor Patrick has proposed increasing funding for transportation, including a four-fold increase for bicycle and pedestrian funding – and we need your help to make it reality. You can read the details here, but under his plan, we would have $430 million devoted to multi-use paths and other bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This is unprecedented, and we must urge our legislators to support the Governor’s transportation plan.

Help us send this message loud and clear by attending the 2013 Massachusetts Bike/Walk Summit on Thursday, April 11 from 10 AM to 1 PM at the State House in Nurses Hall. For the second year in a row, MassBike and WalkBoston are teaming up to host the Summit so that bicyclists and pedestrians speak with one voice on Beacon Hill.

Please register today by clicking here.

In addition to transportation funding, we will also be asking participants to encourage their legislators to support several pieces of bike/ped safety legislation:

• Vulnerable Road Users Bill (SD.1639) – Would give added protection to bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable users of the road.
• Bike Lane Protection Bill (SD.1640) – Would prohibit motor vehicles from parking in bike lanes.
• Senior Safety Zones Bill (HD.550) – Would create zones around areas with high senior citizen populations similar to school zones.
• Active Streets and Healthy Communities Bill (HD.3091/SD.68) – Creates incentives for communities to design streets which encourage biking, walking and other forms of active transportation.
• Speed Limits Bill (HD.3129) – Would give communities the flexibility to lower the prevailing speed limit on certain roads to 25 mph.
• An Act to Promote Pedestrian Safety (HD.1570) – Would encourage snow removal from sidewalks.

And if all that isn’t enough excitement, after the legislative meetings, we’ll have lunch in Nurses Hall with special guest speaker Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, a Massachusetts healthy communities rockstar! Please attend this important event, and make sure that the safety of bikers and walkers doesn’t get overlooked. Together, let’s get Beacon Hill Moving!

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