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Calls to Action
Urging Congress to Recognize the Impact that Our Transportation System Has on the Health of Americans
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership circulated a letter for signature by any national, state or local organization to support a call for including health performance outcomes in the next transportation bill. A total of 171 organizations signed on. The letter was delivered to Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (.pdf, 43KB) and Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Inhofe of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (.pdf, 43KB) the week of November 3, 2008.
Key facts in the letter demonstrate the costs and the negative impacts of our current transportation system:
• High rates of obesity and physical inactivity. CDC estimated that obesity cost America $117 billion in the year 2000, and another study showed that physical inactivity results in $76 billion in direct medical costs annually in the United States.
• Continued significant rates of traffic injuries and deaths. In addition to the loss of human life and health, traffic crashes cost Americans an estimated $164 billion each year.
• High rates of air pollution that worsen respiratory diseases and asthma and impact other health conditions. Researchers have found that one in three schools are located in air pollution
danger zones. And, the public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated
at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year.
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership will be following up with members of the House and Senate Transportation committees to encourage them to hold a hearing on this important issue. We encourage any interested organization or individual to download the PDF and use it in meetings with Members of Congress and staff.
The following organizations have signed onto the letter:
National
Alliance for Biking & Walking
America Bikes
America Walks
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American Diabetes Association
American Public Health Association
American School Health Association
American Society of Landscape Architects
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
Bikes Belong Coalition
Campaign to End Obesity
Congress for the New Urbanism
EcoMom Alliance
Friends of the Earth
International Mountain Bicycling Coalition
League of American Bicyclists
Local Government Commission
National Association for Health & Fitness
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
National Association of Regional Councils
National Center for Bicycling & Walking
National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
National Complete Streets Coalition
National Institutes of Health Bicycle Commuter Club (NIHBCC)
National Recreation and Park Association
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
PolicyLink
Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.
Prevention Institute
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Smart Growth America
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA)
The American Institute of Architects
Transportation for America
Trust for America’s Health
United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG)
YMCA
State and Local
4J School District, Safe Routes to School Program
Activate Martinsville & Henry County
Activate Omaha
ACTIVE Louisville
Active Williamsburg Alliance
Affinity Health System
Affinity Health System
Ashland Cycling Enthusiasts
Bay Area Bicycle Coalition
Be Active New York State
Better World Club
Bicycle Alliance of Washington
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks
Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage
Bicycle Federation of WI
Bicycle Sport Shop
Bicycling Club of Milledgeville
Bicycling for Louisville
Bike Chattanooga
Bike Pittsburgh
BikeAlameda
BikeLane Coalition
BikeNet
Bloomington Transportation Options for People
Bowling Green Safe Routes to School Committee
Bridging the Gap
Buffalo County Nutrition Coalition
California Bicycle Coalition
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
California Park & Recreation Society
California Public Health Association-North
Cascade Bicycle Club
Centre Region Bicycle Coalition
Chain Reaction Cycling Club
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
City of Aspen Environmental Health Department
City of Fayetteville
City of Moscow
ClevelandBikes
Coalition for Sustainable Tranportation (COAST)
Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children
East Coast Greenway Alliance
Franklin County Health Department
Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails
Friends of Pathways
Go Bike
Health by Design
Healthy Lifestyle La Plata Coalition
Highland Elementary School Health and Safety
Highland Elementary School PTA
Indiana Bicycle Coalition
Indiana Public Health Association
IU/Wishard Level I Trauma Center, Wishard Health Services
Kansas City River Trails, Inc.
Knox County Health Department
Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition
Lane Coalition for Healthy Active Youth
Latino Health Access
Lebanon Valley Bicycle Club
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
LiveWell Commerce City
Lockheed Martin Recreation Association Bicycle Club
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
Louisiana Public Health Institute
Manitowoc County Kids Coalition for Activity and Nutrition
Marin County Bicycle Coalition
Mark J. Reynolds Memorial Bike Fund, Inc
Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department
Michigan Fitness Foundation
Mid-America Regional Council
Missouri Bicycle Federation, Inc.
North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance
North County Cycle Club
Oklahoma Bicycling Coalition
Ozark Greenways, Inc.
Parks & Trails New York
Partnerships for Healthy Communities
Pepin County Nutrition Coalition
Polk County Health Department
Positive Spin
PPH Partners
Preserve Our Climate
Red Dirt Pedalers, Stillwater’s bicycle club
Regent Neighborhood Association, Transportation and Traffic Committee
Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA)
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Safe Kids Sonoma County
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
San Francisco Department of Public Health
San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition
San Mateo County Health Department
Sharebike
Shifting Gears Bicycles
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Slavic Village Development
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
Southern California Public Health Association
St. Croix Regional Medical Center
St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation
St. Paul Smart Trips
State Trails Advisory Committee for Montana
Sumter County Active Lifestyles
The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign
The PedNet Coalition
The Queen’s Medical Center
The Strategic Alliance
Trailnet
Train with Rainey
Transportation Alternatives for Marin
Tri-County Health Department
UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center
Upper Valley Trails Alliance
Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (VAHPERD)
Walk/Bike Nashville
Walk+Roll Cleveland
WalkBikeBerks
WalkBoston
WALKSacramento
WalkSanDiego
Washington Area Bicycle Association
Washington Bike Law
Washington County Health Department
Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition
Washtenaw County Public Health Department
Wisconsin Walks
www.bikecommuter.com
Xccent, Inc
Yellowstone Valley PTA Council
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