What Others Are Saying About Rep. Matsui's Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 12, 2011

CONTACT: MARA LEE
(202) 225-7163

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
About Rep. Matsui's Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011

One week ago today, Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1780, the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011, a bill that would require each state's department of transportation and metropolitan planning organization to put in place a Complete Streets policy that ensures all Federally-funded transportation projects accommodate the safety and convenience of all users. Complete Streets policies ensures roadways are built with all users in mind including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, motorists, freight vehicles, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. This bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Congressman Steven LaTourette (R-OH).

Here is what others are saying about the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011:

Complete Streets polices are designed to ensure streets, intersections and trails are designed to make them easier to use and maximize their safety. This legislation will encourage Americans to live more active and healthy lifestyles, while also providing more travel options, and cutting down on traffic congestion. SACOG applauds Congresswoman Matsui's leadership in helping to implement our region's Blueprint policies on a national level.

- Mike McKeever, Executive Director, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)

Congresswoman Matsui's Safe and Complete Streets Legislation is right in the wheelhouse of the City of Sacramento's recently approved General Plan. This proposed legislation will ensure that Complete Streets will be the standard and not the extraordinary.

- Jerry Way, Director of Transportation, City of Sacramento

WALKSacramento applauds Rep. Matsui for her strong leadership in support of Safe and Complete Streets in our communities. The Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 will provide needed direction and guidelines for Federally supported road design and construction. Pedestrians are consistently overrepresented in traffic injury and death statistics due to poor road design. Yet, our need for sustainable communities calls on us to support more walking trips to the park, the bus, our children's school and elsewhere. We need safer, healthier and more complete streets. WALKSacramento looks forward to working with Rep. Matsui on developing and enacting a Federal transportation measure that will complete our streets and meet the needs of all users regardless of age, race, income or disability. Our roads belong to all of us.

- Terry Preston, Complete Streets Coordinator, WALKSacramento

We would like to thank Congresswoman Matsui for her leadership in improving the safety of America's streets through her sponsorship of the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011. This legislation complements over 200 Complete Streets policies at the local level, as well as 23 state policies. This bill strengthens these efforts at the state and local level in California and is vital to making our streets accessible and welcoming to all residents regardless of age, ability, or chosen mode of transportation. Complete Streets help create a sense of community in our rural areas, small towns and cities alike.

- Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission (Sacramento)

Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates is proud to be the home for Congresswoman Matsui's district. The Congresswoman's continued leadership for Complete Streets legislation will make the greater Sacramento area safer for everyone. Complete Streets efforts have helped the Sacramento Midtown Neighborhood become a desirable place to bicycle and a center for nightlife, restaurants, and retail. National Complete Streets legislation will allow Americans across the country to work, shop, and play on safer streets just like Midtown Sacramento.

- Tricia Hedahl, Executive Director, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates

We are so pleased to have Congressional champions who are committed to creating safer streets. Representatives Matsui and LaTourette are being responsive to communities across the country that are adopting state and local Complete Streets policies and want to see a consistent commitment to safety reflected in federal transportation investments as well.

- Barbara McCann, Executive Director, National Complete Streets Coalition

To make roads safer for drivers, transit users, bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. AARP encourages policymakers to adopt complete streets policies and direct resources for low-cost, life-saving roadway improvements to accommodate the mobility needs of an aging population. Making roads safer for older Americans will make them safer for everyone.

- Nancy LeaMond, Executive Vice President, AARP

The Safe and Complete Streets Act moves us closer to achieving some of the nation's major health goals for communities across America such as reducing obesity, asthma and heart disease. We applaud Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Steven LaTourette (R-OH) for introducing this important piece of legislation that focuses on developing healthy communities through smarter planning which encourages physical activity, better access to services and cleaner air.

- Georges C. Benjamin, Executive Director, American Public Health Association

Research has shown that people who are physically active also live healthier lives and, consequently, endure lower health care costs. Conversely, if Americans don t have the option to safely walk or bike to work or school, they re more likely to be sedentary, and that's an unacceptable missed opportunity for our nation's health and our economy. The Safe and Complete Streets Acts is to be commended for increasing opportunities for physical activity a critical component in reversing the obesity epidemic.

- Stephanie Silverman, Senior Advisor, The Campaign to End Obesity Action Fund

The Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 would help the country get smarter about how we think about transportation projects -- so we aren t just focusing on planes, trains and automobiles, but also on ways to use our feet. Right now, about 23 percent of Americans say they do not participate in any form of physical activity and only about half of us reach the minimum recommended levels of exercise. If we re ever going to turn the tide on the obesity epidemic, we need to find ways to make it easier and safer for people to walk, run, bike, and just get moving. This Act would ensure federal transportation projects are efficient and promote better health for all.

- Jeffrey Levi, PhD, Executive Director, Trust for America's Health

Last week's release of the bipartisan Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 was an exciting step toward making our streets safe and convenient for all who use them, whether on foot or bike, using public transit, or in a personal vehicle. Completing the nation's streets is especially important as high prices at the pump steer more Americans toward transportation options. No one should feel unsafe walking to the grocery store, the doctor's office, or to a neighborhood bus stop. Older Americans and people with disabilities also have travel needs that would be significantly aided by this legislation. We encourage members from both parties to join Representatives Matsui and LaTourette as co-sponsors and urge that the Act be incorporated into the long overdue authorization of the nation's transportation law this year.

- James Corless, Campaign Director, Transportation for America

N4A is pleased to join the National Complete Streets Coalition in endorsing the Safe and Complete Streets Act. We commend Reps. Matsui and LaTourette for their leadership in this sponsoring legislation. A growing number of older Americans are looking for alternatives to driving because they have given up the keys, want to reduce their driving or want to be more physically active. Yet too often the streets in their communities are not designed to safely and conveniently accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, people who use mobility devices and users of public transportation of all ages and abilities. We believe this legislation will assist communities to plan and invest in projects that are environmentally sustainable and promote livable communities for all ages. It will ensure that more communities adopt Complete Streets policies that direct transportation planners to consider the needs of all users when making transportation investment decisions.

- Sandy Markwood, CEO, N4A (National Association of Area Agencies on Aging)

This legislation is an important step in ensuring that our nation's transportation systems are safe for all users, while also benefitting local economies, improving health and reducing traffic. We fully support the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 and applaud Representatives Matsui and LaTourette for introducing this bi-partisan bill.

- Nancy Somerville, Executive Vice President andamp; CEO, American Society of Landscape Architects

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