Hi team-- February is almost over which means the Mayor is starting on the first draft of the City of Oakland's budget. This cold & rainy Monday is the perfect time to give her office a call at (510) 238-3141 and ask that she funds street safety improvements in the coming budget. Making a call is easy and takes less than 45 seconds. Here's how it works:

1. You dial (510) 238-3141
2. Someone from the Mayor's office will pick up the phone and say something like "Hi, Mayor Thao's office, how can I help you?"
3. Then you say something along the lines of "Hi my name is _______, I live in _________ and was calling to ask that the Mayor support safer streets in the coming budget by funding things like better crosswalks and protected bike lanes to make Oakland safer for everyone to get around."
4. *Extra credit* If you want to elaborate on an specific improvement you'd like to see in your neighborhood, feel free to do that here!
5. Then they will say "I will make a note of it, thank you for calling"
6. Then you hang up, give yourself a pat on the back and email us letting us know how the call went (carter.lavin@gmail.com) 

The more calls from different people the Mayor's office gets about this, the more they know to prioritize making our streets safer!

And that's an easy way we can help make a difference today. Thank you! 

Let me know if you have any questions, ideas, or want to help volunteer by emailing me at carter.lavin@gmail.com.

Stay safe, stay dry!

Carter Lavin

https://oakrapidresponse.org/