Contemplating alternative funding future
By the end of this week we will know whether a federal transportation bill is imminent, or whether next week we’ll continue on feeling like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day: get attacked, mobilize to defend, receive an extension, awake the next day and repeat. Developing a Plan B for your city or state, which does not rely on federal funding to implement your bicycling, walking, or complete streets projects, may soon go from being merely a good idea, to becoming a necessity. At Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012 many of our sessions will focus on how better walking and bicycling can be achieved through the right design standards, performance measures, land use planning, safety investments, and advocacy. Here is one such session:

Thinking Outside the Beltway: the Future of Government Funding for Walking & Bicycling
With federal funding for bike/ped investments threatened, we’re at a strategic crossroads and must be more resourceful than ever in advancing active transportation. We’ll highlight successful multi-faceted strategies that have used research, advocacy and communications to secure significant funding and policies for active transportation at the regional and state level, and discuss how California’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction law can frame bike/ped investment as a solution to climate, public health and economic goals.

Moderator:
Laura Cohen, Director, Western Region, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Scheduled Panelists:
Dave Snyder (CA Bicycle Coalition); Kevin Mills (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy); Stuart Cohen (TransForm)