<div dir="ltr"><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">A big part of Bike Durham's agenda to achieve a safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation system in Durham is tied to improving our local and regional bus system. There are three ways right now that you can help make this happen:</p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">1)<strong><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-godurham-build-a-better-bus-project?source=direct_link&referrer=group-bike-durham&link_id=0&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham" target="_blank">Register for our webinar</a><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>on August 5th at 7pm to learn more about the GoDurham Better Bus Project.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong>We have invited the City of Durham's Transportation department and their consultant team (including lead consultant WSP) to share details about this<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/4372/GoDurham-Better-Bus-Project?link_id=1&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&source=email-do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham" target="_blank">Better Bus Project</a>.  The City of Durham is using some transit tax money to make improvements to the access to bus stops along segments of Fayetteville and Holloway Streets, to the schedule reliability of some bus routes, the conditions at 50 bus stops in addition to the Village Shopping Center bus stop (the second most used stop in the system).  </p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">The program will include the perspectives of bus riders, an overview of the unique engagement process, and a demonstration of the projects that exemplify access improvements, reliability improvements, and bus stop condition improvements.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><br></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-godurham-build-a-better-bus-project?source=direct_link&referrer=group-bike-durham&link_id=2&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham" target="_blank"><strong>Register now for the webinar.</strong></a><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>We thank WSP for sponsoring this event.</p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">2)<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-the-transit-equity-campaign-2?source=direct_link&referrer=group-bike-durham&link_id=3&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham" target="_blank"><strong>Sign up to join the Transit Equity Campaign.</strong></a><strong><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong>The Durham Transit Team has released information about the options for investing $500 million in public transit over the next 20 years. We encourage you to<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://engagedurham.com/durham-county-transit-plan/?link_id=4&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&source=email-do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham" target="_blank">visit their website</a>.  The Transit Equity Campaign is focused on prioritizing investments that benefit current transit riders, transit workers, and residents of low-income neighborhoods of color. We will be evaluating the options released to help educate you and riders on which options best achieve our goals.</p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">3)<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Take Action to let Senators Burr and Tillis know that public transit funding must be in the infrastructure bill.</strong></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">We have a big opportunity to increase public transit funding at the federal level through the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but that funding is at risk. Our Senators are both on the negotiating group for the bill, so hearing from their constituents matters.  <span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><br></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Federal transportation policy has basically been on auto-pilot for the past forty years, when President Reagan and Congress made a deal to provide 80% of transportation funding to highways and 20% to public transportation.  You get what you pay for, so it’s no surprise that we now have a transportation system oriented toward driving, which is costly for both families and the environment.  Public transportation – the lifeline for essential workers not just during the pandemic but for the past forty years – has been left behind.</p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Reports suggest that instead of increasing the share of funding that goes to transit, negotiators are considering cutting it back, so that even less of the federal transportation program will go toward clean, affordable public transportation.</p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><strong>Please call Senators Burr (202-224-3154) and Tillis at (202-224-6342) with the following message:</strong></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><strong>"[Senator’s name] needs to stand up for public transit riders in North Carolina and negotiate to include a better share for transit than 20% of guaranteed transportation funding in the infrastructure legislation."<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Thank you for taking these steps to improve the bus system in Durham.</p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Be well,<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><div>John</div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">John Tallmadge (he/him/his)<div>Executive Director<div>Bike Durham</div><div>919.672.3862</div><div><br></div><div><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1RPTE-tZXSiYc6mzyTqtKRjKFwj28iKn4&export=download" width="96" height="96"><br></div><div><div style="font-size:14px;color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,0)">Support our work with a tax-deductible donation today!</span></span><br></div><div style="font-size:14px;color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"><a href="http://bikedurham.org/donate" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">bikedurham.org/donate</a> <img alt="🚲" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f6b2" style="margin:0px 0.2ex;vertical-align:middle;max-height:24px"><img alt="🚌" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f68c" style="font-size:14px;margin:0px 0.2ex;vertical-align:middle;max-height:24px"><span style="font-size:14px"> </span><img alt="🚶" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f6b6" style="font-size:14px;margin:0px 0.2ex;vertical-align:middle;max-height:24px"></div></div></div></div></div></div>