a call to action by Indiana trails community asking governor Eric holcolmb to release $60,000,000 in Next Level Trails Funding
Call to action:
WHO? -
You
WHAT? -
Indiana Trails suggests and asks that you write to Gov Eric Holcomb asking to restore funding for trails via the Next Level Trails Program.
WHY? -
Approximately 2 years ago, Governor Holcomb, set forth the Next Level Trails Program of Ninety Million Dollars ($90,000,000) to build trails in Indiana. This amount represents nine percent (9%) of a Next Level Package of one billion dollars for infrastructure, mostly roads. About two weeks ago the Governor put some $60,000,000 (or ⅔ of the budgeted amount) on hold, citing cuts in state revenues from the loss of tax receipts from the loss of business during Governor Holcomb’s order to “shelter-in-place” because of the Corona-19 Virus. During the “shelter-in-place” people showed both a mental health need to get out sometime to use trails for healthful walking, and bicycling, AND a transportation need to walk, bike to buy supplies without spending rarer funds for gasoline and car driving. Healthful trail uses, such as walking and bicycling, can be for many kinds of healthy activities including physical; mental; social, such as walking with friends at a distance; economic, environmental, emotional, spiritual, re-creating one’s soul, recreational, which comes back to physical health. .
WHEN? -
NOW, or AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, to release and restore all or most of the $60,000,000.
WHERE? -
Hoosiers all over Indiana asking for trail building all over the state.
HOW? -
Respecting the need for the Governor to hold expenses, ask Governor Holcomb to cut or reduce some allocated or excess highway funding, say Seventy-five Million Dollars ($75,000,000), and restore some Thirty-five million dollars ($35,000,000), to give the Governor even more money than he is holding, and to not have trails bear the whole cost of cutting state expenses. To this Indiana Trails asks you to modify the example below or write your own letter.
Date (today)
The Honorable Eric Holcomb
Governor of Indiana
200 W Washington St,
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797
317-232-4567
E-mail: find, write message, submit: https://www.in.gov/gov/2752.htm
The Honorable Governor Holcomb:
______ I _________, on behalf of _____ myself / group _______ ask that you release and restore Next Level funding for trails in Indiana.
I / We appreciate that you are sensitive to potential state losses of revenues for the shut-downs during the “sheltering-in-place” which have been necessary to reduce the risk of C-19.
However, during these shut-downs, people have shown that trails are a necessary and essential means of health, both individual and community. Not only were people walking and bicycling for physical activity, but these activities resulted in mental health, in social health, as people connected with long deferred contact with neighbors. Further, as people walked, and biked to work or errands, they saved money, practicing economic heath, they saved air pollution, practicing environmental health. In addition trails provided ways to engage with spiritual, emotional, and re-creating a soul health, any of which comes back to recreation, re-creating a body, and physical health.
Trails provide these facilities for people to take necessary breaks to be healthy while “sheltering-in-place.
We ask that rather than trying to balance the state money-fall on trails, that you hold funds from Next Level Highway projects, say Fifty Million Dollars, then take Fifteen Million from Trails, such that necessary driving can occur, but also, necessary trail use - and expansion - can occur.
Add your own comments or experiences with and needs for trails here
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
With Appreciation,
Your name ____________________________________________________
(Your group’s name _____________________________________________)
Your (group’s) address ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Your (group’s) e-mail address _____________________________________________
Your telephone number __________________________________________________
AND LASTLY, PLEASE SEND A blind COPY of your letter to Indiana Trails at
Thank you, Indiana Trails.