Now's the Time: Talk to Your Members of Congress in August

Photo: Will Marlow
Photo: Will Marlow
With the current federal surface transportation bill’s extension — plus the bulk of the federal gas tax –expiring on September 30, crucial decisions regarding our nation’s transportation system will be made next month.

However, for the next month or so, Congress will be on recess, and Members will be going home to their districts. They’ll use this opportunity to spend time with their constituents, learning about concerns and priorities.

This is the perfect opportunity for you to directly impact federal decision-making by expressing your support for a federal Complete Streets policy and asking your Senators and Representative to co-sponsor the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011in person.

You can set up a meeting with your members, take them on a tour of a local project that used a Complete Streets approach, or go to a town hall meeting and ask what they are doing to make your community safer for everyone using the road.

We’ve put together a guide to scheduling and holding a meeting to help, and our federal policy resources page has additional tools and information to help.

Several members of the Coalition’s Steering Committee also have great resources for meeting with your Member of Congress or taking them on a project tour:

Contact Christine Green 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!

Complete Streets