[nfbwatlk] FW: Link to Ped Funding and Action

Wed Oct 21 22:44:38 UTC 2009

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Dear Friend of Feet First:

Attend the final City of Seattle's Budget Hearing Meeting.

The City's first Pedestrian Master Plan was recently approved and we need
your voice to implement the $600,000 plan. Unfortunately, the Mayor's
proposed budget does not go far enough to implement the plan.

Mayor's Proposed Budget:
-Includes a repeal of the Employee Head Tax. Now is not the time to give
away more than $4.5 million in revenue. This amounts to more than $20
million dollars over the next 5 years. The budget short fall this year
exceeds $70 million dollars. Repealing this tax simply adds more to the gap.

-Support the dedicated funding for the Pedestrian plan. Identified funding
in the budget is crucial to the plan's implementation. 

-Bike and Pedestrian funding (minus major projects and capital improvements)
is at about 6% of the total SDOT budget. The employee head tax (EHT) is one
of the funding sources of the Bridging the Gap project, which is a key
funding source for the improvements contained in the Pedestrian Master Plan.
Bridging the Gap would be significantly impacted by the repeal of the EHT.

We recently learned of a downtown employer with approximately 200 employees;
said employer paid only $2,500 in EHT last year (this is an average of
$12.50 per employee). The EHT only charges employers for employees who
drive.

Feet First does not support taking away an important mechanism for funding
sustainable transportation. Now is the time to keep funding sources to
implement the Pedestrian Master Plan, thereby reducing climate change,
building healthier communities, and providing safer places for people to
walk.

Please attend the final budget meeting and speak out for full funding to
implement the City of Seattle's recently adopted Pedestrian Master Plan:

Monday, October 26th
City Council Chambers
4:30-5:00 PM Call-In
5:00 PM Sign-In
5:30 PM Public Hearing

Finally, if you are unable to attend the public hearing, we encourage you to
send an email to City of Seattle Councilmembers letting them know you do not
agree with repealing the employee head tax without a replacement funding
mechanism for active transportation. Direct your comments to:
http://www.cityofseattle.net/council/councilcontact.htm

Should you have questions, feel free to contact us directly by calling
206-652-2310 or by emailing info at feetfirst.info

Become a Feet First member today. We will continue to provide you community
announcements about issues affecting pedestrians.
http://www.feetfirst.info/join Thanks!

Sincerely,

Lisa Quinn
Executive Director
lisa at feetfirst.info

P.S. Attend this great event! We Are the Missing Link 

 <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FeetFirst/52fa0f946e/73a94947bc/1ee98b034d>
ImageJoin us for a quick "flash" action to declare our collective support
for completion of the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link - from Fred Meyer to
the Ballard Locks. Let's demonstrate that the trail is for A L L of us, and
that WE ARE THE MISSING LINK! 

We would be honored to have you stand with us for a silent show of support
honoring the trail and the decades of hard work it took to get us to this
point. 

When: Tuesday, October 27, 5:30pm-6:30pm

Where: Shilshole Ave NW, opposite 17th Ave NW, just west of the Ballard
Bridge - look for the people with the blinking lights!

How: Walk, bike, run, skate, glide

B.Y.O."Blinky" red light if you've got one, and bring your bikes, strollers,
walkers, wheelchairs, dogs and skateboards.

We'll have cool orange "WE ARE THE MISSING LINK" T-shirts for the first 100
participants (donations accepted).

Be prepared for inclement weather - rain or shine, we'll be there!

Join us as well for the after-party nearby at Dutch Bike Seattle, 6:30pm,
4421 Shilshole Ave - just east of the Ballard Bridge. Beer and non-alcoholic
drinks will be provided. We will have a grill set up so bring your
grillables.

For more information, contact: Kevin, kcarrab at comcast.net and Vic,
vic at sustainableballard.org 

http://bit.ly/wearethelink
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FeetFirst/52fa0f946e/73a94947bc/1ee98b034d> 

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Feet First
314 1st Avenue South
Seattle, Washington 98104 

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