Many of you have been following our coverage of the super mega path we’ve been working on completing with other advocates and organizations that will stretch along the Dorchester Coast and Neponset River from South Boston all the way to the Readville in Hyde Park, just a stone’s throw from the Blue Hills Reservation. Like the idea?

We need as many letters of support for “MassDOT and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Neponset River Greenway Completion Project” as we can get.

When?

As soon as you can, and definitely before March 17, 2012! The support of this project will keep building but letters sent now will go to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to consider along with a $10 million grant to complete all the gaps in the path.

All the info you need is right here in this post. We want to make it easy for you!

Where and how to send?

Make a letter in Microsoft Word or on saved to a pdf that is formally addressed (but not sent via snail mail) to:

Secretary Ray LaHood
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave SE
Washington DC 20590

And attach that document to an e-mail to catherine.garnett@state.ma.us (Microsoft Word or PDF).

Cathy is the DCR project manager who has worked so hard to make this path a reality. Say hi to her!

It would also be great to cc the Bike Union at pete@bostoncyclistsunion.org so we can keep track of how many letters we are generating.

What to write?

What we need most are stories about how you will use the trail for transportation (not recreation so much). This is going to the U.S. Department of Transportation, so they like to make trails that get people places. If you live near the trail and would use it to get places, tell Mr. LaHood how.

Here are the bare bones of a letter you can cut and paste into Microsoft Word or any other word processing program (Word docs and pdfs accepted).

As an individual, personal stories are good. Or if you have unique perspective on a wider issue, show it! Be concise and to the point.

And when you’re done, pat yourself on the back for making Boston an even more enjoyable and healthy place to live for everyone!

Secretary Ray LaHood
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave SE
Washington DC 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood,

I would like to express my enthusiastic support for the proposed design of MassDOT and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Neponset River Greenway Completion Project. I live in ________, just ________ from the project.

I currently bike to ________ and would bike more often if ________

Or

I currently don’t ride a bike, but I would if _______. I would access the trail to get to _________, _______, and ________.

My community would also benefit because ___________.

Thank you, and please consider granting this project the funding it needs to succeed.

Sincerely,