Take Action

Tell Congress to Protect Funding for Biking and Walking

Americans deserve transportation options. Right now, Congress is working on the next surface transportation reauthorization bill and the decisions made now will shape how safe, affordable, and connected our transportation system is for years to come. We’ve already heard one leading member of Congress say, the next bill will have no funding for “bike paths or walking paths. We’re going to spend money on traditional infrastructure — that’s roads and bridges.”   

A broad coalition of more than 1,100 national, state, and local organizations has sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to protect and strengthen federal investments in bicycling and walking, including the Transportation Alternatives (TA) program and critical safety provisions for people outside of cars.

Now lawmakers need to hear directly from you.

How to Contact Your Members of Congress

Find your lawmakers

1

You can identify your U.S. Senators and Representative at:
https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Send an email or make a call

2

You can email their offices directly or call their Washington, DC office. Both are effective — calling is best and doing both is even better.

Reference the coalition letter

3

Let them know you support the coalition letter urging Congress to:

  • Preserve and strengthen the Transportation Alternatives program

  • Maintain and improve safety provisions for people walking and biking

  • Keep broad eligibility for biking and walking in core federal transportation programs

Phone Call Script 

If have time to call, here’s a simple script you can use:

Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [City/ZIP].

I’m calling to ask [Senator/Representative Last Name] to support strong federal investments in bicycling and walking in the upcoming transportation reauthorization.

I support the coalition letter urging Congress to protect the Transportation Alternatives program, improve safety for people walking and biking, and keep broad eligibility for active transportation. These investments save lives and strengthen our communities.

Thank you for passing along my message.

Sample Email You Can Send

You can copy, paste, and personalize the email below — adding a sentence about why biking or walking matters to you or your community makes it even more powerful.

Dear [Senator/Representative Last Name],

I am a constituent from [City/State], and I’m writing to urge you to support strong federal investments in bicycling and walking in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization.

I support the coalition letter sent to congressional leadership calling for the preservation and strengthening of the Transportation Alternatives program, continued focus on safety for people walking and biking, and broad eligibility for active transportation across federal transportation programs.

Investments in sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails make our communities safer, expand transportation choices, support local economies, and use taxpayer dollars efficiently. People walking and biking make up more than 20% of roadway fatalities, and Congress has a critical role to play in improving safety—especially on federal-aid roadways.

Americans across the political spectrum support these investments, and communities in every state rely on federal partnership to build safe, connected transportation networks. I urge you to protect and grow these programs and policies in the next transportation bill.

Thank you for your leadership and consideration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[City, State]