The World Trade Center Attack

T.A. joins all New Yorkers in mourning the victims of the World Trade Center attack. Our hearts are heavy, but we continue to champion a more livable New York City and world. We encourage our members to work hard to help renew our city. We urge you to be even more active in the city's civic life and help our new mayor and city council do their jobs with vigor, vision and intelligence.

T.A.'s office looks due south from 30th street, a little over three miles from the World Trade Center. The twin towers were a spectacular icon framed by our windows, and a place we often visited for meetings with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council and the Port Authority. Like many other New Yorkers, we stood and watched in horror as the Twin Towers burned and collapsed. Like many, we feared for our friends, families and professional colleagues. Amid the great sorrow and anguish of these days since 9/11, we are glad to report that our friends at those agencies made it out okay.

Since the WTC catastrophe, T.A. has been at the forefront of the debate over the future of the city. We are advocating furiously for bicyclists, pedestrians and increases in public transit -- particularly new express bus service.

T.A. played a key role organizing political support for the Mayor's ban on single occupant vehicles on bridges and tunnels entering Manhattan south of 63rd Street.

In the weeks and months ahead, T.A. will push the City to be bold and creative as it rebuilds lower Manhattan. For instance, there is an opportunity to improve security, transportation and quality of life by maintaining a restricted zone for motor vehicles south of Canal Street - much as London's financial district has successfully had in place since a disastrous bombing in the late 1980's. T.A. has helped organize a coalition of business, labor and environmental leaders around a five point plan to keep New York moving. T.A.'s more aggressive version of that plan is inside.

For T.A. to continue to be a leader in deciding the future of the city, we need your help.

This is an important time to make sure that the voice of bicyclists and pedestrians - your voice - is heard during the critical days ahead. Rarely have New York's cyclists
and pedestrians faced such great opportunities - and risk. Opponents of the city's car pooling plan are already threatening lawsuits and demanding a return to a city dominated by the car.

We can't let that happen. We urge you to invest in a city of cyclists and pedestrians by giving generously to T.A. today. Give now. Go to www.transalt.org or use the envelope inside.