In the 1990's, in an effort to become one of Michigan's most bike-friendly cities, Ann Arbor City Council dedicated 5% of its "Act 51" funds (funding from the Michigan Transportation Fund) to non-motorized transportation improvements. This funding is the only source of dedicated non-motorized transportation funding for the City of Ann Arbor. It has been used to build bike lanes, install pedestrian crosswalk signage, and educate cyclists on the rules of the road, among other activities. City Council has cut this funding to 2.5% and has chosen not to restore this funding to the past level of 5% this year.
We need you to tell City Council that this policy decision is not acceptable. Please sign this petition TODAY and pass this message along to your friends.
It is 2013, we should not be reducing our dedicated non-motorized transportation funding, we should be increasing it! This funding is not even close to equitably funding the needs of our current transportation needs, let alone what we hope to see in the future. Today,
- Close to 5% of residents in Ann Arbor bike to work
- Over 15% of residents walk to work
In addition, it does line up with Council adopted priorities. Council adopted plans, even those adopted in just the last 12 months, do not support cuts to non-motorized transportation funding:
- The City's Climate Action Plan (adopted December 2012) states that improving options for biking and walking are key to reducing greenhouse gas house gases in the future
- A key Sustainability Framework goal (adopted July 2012) is to "establish a physical and cultural environment that supports and encourages safe, comfortable and efficient ways for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users to travel throughout the City."
In addition to the clear environmental and public health benefits of investing in non-motorized transportation facilities, this is also an economic development issue. The Michigan Municipal League has identified physical design/walkability as one of eight assets essential to creating desirable and vibrant communities in the 21st century.
Please take a minute today to sign our petition. If you have 10-15 minutes to write a personal note to the Ann Arbor City Council telling them you do not approve of the decision to defund the non-motorized transportation budget!
Given the frequeny we hear the question "Are bikes vehicles", we thought we'd re-post this informative response. This answer was orginally posted in a discussion on WBWC's google group list serve by Kathy Vonk. Kathy is a Ann Arbor Police Department officer and League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor, among her many qualifications. 
Last spring, WBWC and the City of Ann Arbor surveyed motorists in Ann Arbor to see what local drivers knew about our local crosswalk law and to get a better sense of their self-reported behavior. After a summer of education, we're at it again to see what type of progress we've made in Ann Arbor. Please take a few minutes to take this survey (even if you took one last spring) so we can get a better sense of our community progress.
