It’s August, and that means that Members of Congress are on recess and going home to their districts. Members will use the recess to spend time learning more about their constituents’ concerns and priorities. This provides a perfect opportunity to express the need for a federal complete streets policy and ask them to co-sponsor the Complete Streets Act of 2009 (S 587/HR 1443)!
Representatives are already on recess, while Senators will follow on August 9, and both houses will be adjourned until September 12.
You can take advantage of your Member of Congress being back in the district to set up a meeting with them, take them on a tour of a local complete street project, or go to a town hall meeting and ask what they are doing to make your community safer for everyone using the road. We have all the tools you need on our federal resources page, including tips for scheduling a meeting, talking points, and information about legislation that will lead to complete streets.
Several National Complete Streets Coalition partners also have great resources for meeting with your Member of Congress or taking them on a project tour:
- Smart Growth America’s Advocacy Center
- Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s Toolkit for Building Congressional Champions
- League of American Bicyclists’ Advocacy Tips
We are here to help! Contact Eryn Rosenblum if you have any questions or need help setting up a meeting or event. Make sure your Member of Congress returns to Washington as a champion for complete streets!