Safe Routes to School Program Under Attack

Written by Tyler Benedict Jun 15, 2010 9:47 a.m. ET

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From League of American Bicyclists: House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has targeted the federal Safe Routes to School program established under the 2005 Federal Surface Transportation Bill (SAFETEA-LU) as wasteful government spending in his weekly “YouCut program”.

Each week representative Cantor asks people to vote for which of five options they would cut from the federal budget. Republicans then hold a floor vote in the House of Representatives to try to eliminate the program that gets the most votes.

This week, the federal Safe Routes to School program is one of Rep. Cantor’s targets. He argues that SRTS duplicates other bicycling and walking programs, and that bicycling and walking infrastructure is a local government responsibility. We need your help making sure that Members of Congress understand the value of Safe Routes to School and support it.

Please take a few minutes to send a message to your Member of Congress to ask them to vote against any effort to cut Safe Routes to School.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. TAKE ACTION HERE with easy links to your representatives.

Tyler Benedict

11,200 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel to killer riding locations throughout North America.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler loves family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part to make his bikes faster and lighter.

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Paul in Harrisonburg, VA

13 years ago

Oh, Eric Cantor, why do you hate children??? : (

Publius

13 years ago

As an avid cyclist, I approve of the idea of making it safer for children to ride bicycles to school. Especially considering that the utterly ridiculous No Child Left Behind Act effectively eliminated phys ed and recess, making American children less physically active and more obese. But Mr. Cantor is correct, these types of things are the business of local, municipal government. The federal government is bloated and inefficient and needs to be pared back. The idea that the federal government is responsible for local problems, even if that local problem occurs throughout each of the 50 states, is a modern idea that contradicts both common sense and the Constitution.