If New York State doesn't act before July 16th, New York City will miss out on more than $500 million in federal traffic relief and transit funds.

We really need your support so that we can ramp up our efforts to secure this money and assure a greener, healthier future for New York City.

Thanks to donations by the FJC, a foundation of philanthropic funds, and a generous T.A. member, your donation will receive a 2:1 match during the next week. That means if you give $100, your gift will be worth $300 to Transportation Alternatives.

On June 21st, the state legislature recessed for the summer without voting on congestion pricing. If they don't reconvene and approve a congestion pricing strategy before July 16th, the City stands to lose out on nearly $500 million in federal transportation funds. We need your help to educate and inform citizens and elected officials on the benefits of congestion pricing.

In May, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a plan for a greener, greater New York City. Dubbed PlaNYC, it aims to increase bicycling, walking and transit while reducing driving and traffic. It's what Transportation Alternatives has been advocating since we were founded in 1973. If successful, the Mayor's plan will curb carbon, yield cleaner air, tame traffic and make for a much greener and more livable city.

The cornerstone of the Mayor's 127-point plan is a congestion pricing system that would charge automobiles $8 and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan south of 86th Street from 6am to 6pm Monday through Friday. Without congestion pricing and its associated monies, the transit improvements and street space reallocations that make PlaNYC so significant for bikers, walkers and transit users would be lost.

We have raised almost half of our $500,000 goal for this unprecedented campaign. Your thoughtful and generous donation to our Green the Streets campaign ensures that we will be able to continue to:

• Influence elected officials and local legislative bodies on the state, county, city and town levels, including launching and operating grassroots efforts in districts of key legislators
• Set up local campaign headquarters outside NYC
• Influence coverage of issue and editorial content in ultra-local news sources particularly on local TV and in community newspapers)
• Activate grassroots efforts on college campuses based around environmental issues
• Influence communities through outreach to local religious institutions
• Bring attention to under-reported or misunderstood elements of the plan such as how congestion pricing's impact on travel times and transit will benefit middle and working class New Yorkers as well as small businesses
• Prepare materials to empower local grassroots efforts beyond those operated by TA
• Deploy new grassroots organizers to educate and win over key constituencies like labor groups, neighborhood organizations, community boards, church congregations, express bus riders and others
• Generate new tools to convey the benefits of congestion pricing such as short films, print ads and easy to understand question and answer sheets

We will not rest until we reduce traffic, improve air quality and free up street space for better biking, walking and transit. Please take advantage of this generous 2:1 matching gift offer and help us reclaim streets for New Yorkers once and for all. The clock is ticking. Make a special donation to T.A. today and make every minute count.

Sincerely,

Paul Steely White
Executive Director
Transportation Alternatives

PS. Don't be reticent during these final weeks. Help us implement congestion pricing now and in a way that benefits the majority of cyclists, pedestrians and transit takers in New York City.