Partner Update
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Regional Calls:
Thursday, February 26th
South:
1pm EST/12pm CST
Northeast (NEW TIME):
2pm EST
Midwest:
3pm EST/2pm CST
West:
4pm EST/1pm PST
CALL-IN INFORMATION:
1-866-528-9731
Conference Code:
5102688602
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Transportation for America Partners,
While the President addresses Congress with his 2009 goals this week, we at Transportation for America will be launching our platform on Thursday, February 26. As our partner, we would appreciate your participation in this event and/or our reception the evening before (see details below). This is our chance to officially introduce the T4 America message to the decision makers on the Hill, but we need your help.
Ask your Members of Congress to attend Transportation For America's
- Reception, Wednesday, February 25, 5:30-7:30pm, Union Station-Columbus Room
- Platform Launch Event, Thursday, February 26, 10:30am EST, Capitol-Caucus Room-Cannon HOB 345.
Find the official invitations on our Partner Website:
coalition.t4america.org
Username: t4apartner
Password: tea4usa08
Don't forget to join our regional partner calls also this Thursday, February 26th for the recap of the Platform Launch and to learn about hosting a Town Hall meeting in your community. Please refer to the call times at right, and note the Northeastern call has moved to 2pm EST.
Thank you,
Ilana Preuss,
Platform Launch
This is a great opportunity for Congress to hear our message and see the diversity of our coalition. Help spread the word and encourage your members to attend both our our Platform Events:
- Reception, Wednesday, February 25, 5:30-7:30pm, Union Station-Columbus Room
- Platform Launch Event, Thursday, February 26, 10:30am EST, Capitol-Caucus Room-Cannon HOB 345.
You can also promote the platform launch in your own community:
- Send out the national press release (We will issue on Thursday) to local transportation reporters and the editorial board.
- Draft a local release in support of the the platform, have local partners sign on
- Submit letters to the editor and op-ed pieces in support of the the platform
- Promote the Platform on your website.
TOWN HALLS
Help your community's voice be heard in Washington. In March or April, host a Town Hall in your area that will allow your community to develop a vision for the future of transportation. We want to make this process as easy as possible, so we've developed a toolkit that is available on our website.
Check out these various tools as they can help you organize your Town Hall or a smaller House Meeting. Keep in mind these community discussions can:
- Strengthen your relationship with your Congressional Delegation
- Bring in new voices and constituencies to the local T4 efforts
- Build your organization's capacity
- Gain media attention
Our outreach team is here to help you with the toolkit and the organizing process, feel free to contact us at townhall@t4america.org.
State Stimulus Project
As the stimulus funding is distributed to the states, it is key that we stay strong as a coalition and push for good spending in our states. Smart Growth America is heading up the coordination of the state stimulus tracking, and many of our partners are already involved in the conversations. If you want to join the weekly discussion, email Natasha.Bowens@t4america.org and she can plug you in.
Also, learn more about what influences your state's spending by checking out SGA's state stimulus resources:
http://stimulus.smartgrowthamerica.org
username: states14
password: $800billion
And the National Complete Streets Coalition's website:
Creating Complete Streets with Stimulus Funding
Partners in the News
10 days after Congress passed the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act and President Obama signed the bill into law, transportation reform advocates are applauding the robust and balanced investments in transportation that were included in the package, while pushing to ensure that stimulus dollars get spent on the best possible projects. In a segment for the PBS show "NOW" that focused on the role of transit in the stimulus as agencies deal with bursting budgets and ballooning ridership, producers looked at some of the work of U.S. PIRG and Transportation for America in analyzing state stimulus wish lists and documenting transit cutbacks. Michael Replogle, the transportation director for the Environmental Defense Fund, was interviewed recently by NPR for a segment looking at the role the stimulus could or could not have in developing green infrastructure.
Out on the west coast, campaign partner 1,000 Friends of Oregon is pushing its state government to put its stimulus funding to good use, while in the Midwest, All Aboard Ohio is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to apply for hundreds of millions of dollars in passenger rail funding.
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