(Sacramento, CA) The Bikes Belong Coalition has provided an unprecedented $10,000 grant to the California Bicycle Coalition (CBC) to promote the Safe Routes To School bill currently making its way through the California State Legislature.

While other Bikes Belong Coalition grants have supported the construction of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of bike projects, this is the first to directly sponsor a legislative campaign.

"We are highly pleased that the leading industry-wide advocacy group is getting behind the Safe Routes To School Bill of 2001," stated Chris Morfas, Executive Director of the CBC, "We will put these funds to very good use."

"Bikes Belong realizes that many trends regarding cycling take root in California and then move throughout the country," says Rich Olken, Executive Director of Bikes Belong, "the CBC does an incredible job working with the state legislature in the past, and we want to help keep the momentum building. We feel that CBC's success in California will help get Safe Routes legislation passed nationwide."

The original Safe Routes To School bill was passed in 1999, but had a "sunset" clause attached that will cause it to expire this year. The California Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School program was overwhelmed by $130,000,000 worth of requests from communities for the $20,000,000 that was available during the first round of applications.

If successful, the Safe Routes to School Bill of 2001 would provide $60,000,000 over the next three years for bike lanes, sidewalks, trails and other projects to get more kids biking and walking to school.

The new Safe Routes To School bill (SB10) has just passed through the California Senate Transportation Committee by an 11-3 vote, which shows great support in our legislature. "One more senate committee, and then it's on to the full senate. Right now is the time for CA bike industry leaders to introduce themselves to their state senators in support of SB10," says Morfas.

Find the full story, including a sample letter and an easy way of identifying your state senator, at calbike.org. Or, call the CBC at 916-446-7558.

California Bicycle Coalition

Chris Morfas - Executive Director

Chris.Morfas@calbike.org

916.446.7558 phone

916.446.7292 fax

Bikes Belong Coalition

Rich Olken - Executive Director

SR2S@bikesbelong.org

617.734.2800 phone

617.734-2810 fax