Hello Friend,

With the recent schedule changes for both the transportation bill and climate change bill, we have been given a great campaign opportunity.  We now have more time to garner the support of our legislators and push for real transportation reform.  Let's make sure we don't waste our chance to connect transportation policy with climate change; let's push for support of the CLEAN TEA legislation.

Ask your Senators to cosponsor CLEAN TEA (S. 575), which will create a more sustainable transportation future. 

And don't forget to join your state call or the national call this Thursday to get the latest from the Hill and to give us any updates from the field.

Best,

Ilana Preuss

Report from Washington

Transportation Bill Updated Timeline:
The administration is set to release their language on a proposed 18-month transportation bill sometime early this week.  At the same time Senator Boxer is moving ahead with a markup this week on an 18-month extension of SAFETEA-LU. 

On the House side, Chairman Oberstar continues to push for a full 6-year bill, and will hold a hearing on Thursday to examine the economic benefits that could come from an infrastructure bill.  While the next steps for a bill are still being determined, there seems to be a $7.3 billion patch to the highway trust fund in the works to get through September 30.

Climate Change:
The Senate has taken the climate change bill off the table for the month of July and will be discussing it in September.  This gives us more time to push for support of CLEAN TEA and a stronger transportation planning section.  Check out the co-sponsorship request letter on our partner website (use the above login information).

Take Action

For those interested in planning field activities for the August congressional recess, we are working on two different toolkits.  Keep your eyes peeled for information on:

• "Take Your Legislator to Work Day," in connection with a report profiling transit cuts across the country.
• Forums on The Long Commute to Health Care: hold a community discussion on access to health services in your neighborhood.

Partners in the News

Oberstar's transportation bill would have a profound impact on local and regional transit systems, and our partners at Tri-State Transportation Campaign, New Jersey Future, and 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania are touting the potential benefits to New Jersey's transportation network under the bill.  Following the release of a Texas Transportation Institute report on nationwide drops in congestion, 1,000 Friends of Maryland and Central Maryland Transportation Alliance comment on the worsening traffic in Baltimore and the need for more transportation options.  And in Michigan, advocates with the Michigan Environmental Council, Michigan Public Transit Association, and Transportation Riders United held bake sales across the state to raise money for the state's $45 million deficit in public transportation funding.