Sign on to BWNC's letter! Join with BikeWalk NC in writing the governor and state rep
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Join with BikeWalk NC in writing the governor and state representatives to return funding for Active Transportation Projects and Programs.
March 2, 2019
Dear Governor Cooper and members of the North Carolina General Assembly,
There is no need to create new bicycle registration programs, to tax children and low income cyclists and overburden local, regional and state enforcement and regulatory agencies. The active transportation funding problem of today rests in the decisions of previous legislative bodies.
In 2013 when the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) adopted its goals of implementing its "comprehensive statewide plan for improving bicycling and walking conditions across North Carolina", it focused on five main principles – mobility, safety, health, the economy and the environment. The NC General Assembly that same year, defunded that plan and has since directed NCDOT to spend billions of tax dollars on limited use roadway and turnpike projects, while defunding active transportation.
For six years, North Carolina has not funded any stand-alone bicycle or pedestrian projects. Rural and urban counties across the state have active transportation plans and projects that remain unfunded. Unfair financial burdens exist for local communities which limit their ability to: provide for active transportation, improve roadway safety, enrich their quality of life and placemaking, and enhance North Carolina’s economic vitality through a modern multimodal transportation system.
The undersigned individuals, BikeWalk NC and its organizational partners stand with nine other Regional Planning Organizations and other Metropolitan Planning Organizations that represent millions of North Carolina residents.
We ask that the North Carolina General Assembly provide direct funding that will allow the design, construction and prioritization of Stand-Alone Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects, facilitate safe active transportation facilities through the codification of North Carolina's Complete Streets Policy and remove the 2013 requirement for matching funds for infrastructure that connects and protects us all.