WEBINAR – How to Advocate for Biking, Walking and Trail Funding: Best Practices for 2024 State Legislative Sessions
During this webinar, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and partners discussed preparing your active transportation and trail asks for upcoming state legislative sessions, most of which will occur in the winter and spring of 2024. The goal of this webinar is to give state- and metropolitan-level advocates around the country ideas for tactics and policies around funding infrastructure. The session focused on generating state funds appropriated by legislatures, and on successful bills, impactful funding mechanisms, agency allocation, game-changing coalitions and effective campaigns that are making a difference.
Attendees heard from several panelists including an MPO who helped advocate for funding and a state agency leader who previously advocated for bike infrastructure. Following panelist presentations, Andrew Dupuy, RTC’s Director of State-Level Policy, covered some RTC best practices and past funding victories. Those new to legislative advocacy will appreciate the “Legislature 101” tactics while veterans will learn new policy and funding models and advocacy tactics from other states.
Panelists:
- Miranda Jones Cox, Government Affairs Manager, Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), Salt Lake City, UT
- Barb Chamberlain, Director of the Active Transportation Division, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
- Justin Dennis, Program Director, Trust for Public Land, Camden, New Jersey
- Andrew Dupuy, Director of State-Level Policy, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (moderator)
Related Links:
- Learn more about the Utah Trail Network: https://utahtrailnetwork.udot.utah.gov/
- Utah Trail Network Advocacy Support Letter: https://unifiedplan.org/utah-trail-network/
- Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Speed Management Policy Framework: https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/InjuryMinimization-SpeedManagement-PolicyElements-Recommendations.pdf
- WA State Active Transportation Plan: https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/statewide-plans/active-transportation-plan
- WSDOT Complete Streets: https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/complete-streets
- Keep up with WSDOT’s amazing active transportation programs. Subscribe to WSDOT Walk + Roll E-News: https://bit.ly/WSDOTactive-enews
- Learn more about the Circuit Trails: https://circuittrails.org/
- Circuit Trails interactive map: https://www.dvrpc.org/webmaps/thecircuit/
- Moving the Circuit Forward: https://circuittrails.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Circuit_Trails-Moving_the_Circuit_Forward_4thEdition-April2023.pdf
- In addition to the Circuit, RTC’s other TrailNation Projects include: https://www.railstotrails.org/our-work/trailnation/#projects
- Florida’s SUN Trails program: http://floridasuntrail.com/
- Indiana’s Next Level Trails: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/recreation/grants/next-level-trails/
- North Carolina’s Great Trails State Coalition https://greattrailsstatecoalition.org/ and Year of the Trail https://greattrailsnc.com/
- RTC Active Transportation Policy Hub (provides bill text and success stories database): https://rtc.li/policyhub
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) State Legislature comparison: https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/full-and-part-time-legislatures
- Working with Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to advance trail projects: https://www.railstotrails.org/build-trails/trail-building-toolbox/planning/working-with-mpos/
RTC’s TrailNation Collaborative, Trail Development and Policy teams produce a free webinar series designed to help trail professionals build, grow, manage, maintain, promote or otherwise support trails and trail networks. Sign up here to get webinar alerts.
Have a comment or question on our webinar series? Contact us below with topic or speaker ideas. We appreciate your feedback! Email us.
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