If you ride in the Tampa area, you may wish to respond to this:

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Bike club members,

It has come to the attention of local officials that the Florida Dept.
of Transportation (FDOT) has eliminated funding for several bike &
pedestrian projects in our area.  The funding was cut from a project
called the 5-Year Tentative Work Program.  The list includes these
projects in the Clearwater & North Pinellas area:

Progress Energy Trail overpass (over US19)
The entire Druid Road Trail (which connects the proposed & funded
Progress Energy trail to the Pinellas Trail)
Brooker Creek Trail
Clearwater Beach Connector Trail

The overpass is proposed to be replaced by an "at-grade" crossing – a
crosswalk.  The elimination of the overpass effectively cuts off the
proposed trail at 19 because few individuals will risk crossing the
roadway, competing with turning traffic at the intersection.

FDOT is holding a public hearing this Thursday, December 8th from
5:00-7:00pm at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, 4000 Gateway
Centre Blvd, Suite 100 in Pinellas Park for the purpose of hearing
public comments.  This is our opportunity to speak up and voice our
objection to the funding cuts.  If you cannot attend, FDOT also
accepts written comments.

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/publicinformationoffice/publicinv/Pi-d7.htm

The total dollar amount of the funding cuts is $12.4 million.  The
total budget for the 5 Year Work Program is $716.8 million.
Therefore, we're asking for only 1.73% of the total budget to be
reinstated or appropriated from transit and highway projects, which
total $658.2 or 92%.

Here is the breakdown of funding for the FDOT Tentative Work Program
(after the cuts)

Aviation                         46,943,460        6.55%

Intermodal Facilities       1,200,000          0.17%

Transit                          89,664,168        12.51%

Highways                      568,575,747      79.31%

Bike/Ped Projects          6,133,795          0.86%

Planning                        4,349,678          0.61%

Total                             $716,866,848

Other projects eliminated are:

St. Petersburg Bicycle and Pedestrian Study
Outreach for Bay Area Commuter Services
Lake Maguire Trail

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Regards,
Gary

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