State and Federal Programs Page 5

Tidelands Park along the Bayshore Bikeway in San Diego, Calif. | Photo courtesy SANDAG

Round 2 of Calif. Statewide Active Trans. Program Yields $60 Million for Trails

Posted 09/21/15 by Laura Cohen in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with BATC, California, Funding, State and Federal Programs

Twenty-nine trail projects in California have been recommended for funding in the second round of California’s 2015 Active Transportation Program (ATP), the largest single funding source for biking, walking and trails in the state.

Photo courtesy Dianne Yee | CC by 2.0

Congress on Trails: Next Steps for Transportation Legislation

Posted 09/17/15 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Taking Action, Policy | Tagged with Funding, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

Congress is back in session, having returned from a month-long August recess, and the future of funding for trails, walking and biking hangs in the balance. Read how you can get involved in the fight to ensure strong federal support for bike/ped programs.

Photo courtesy RTC

Senate Passes “So-So” Federal Transportation Bill. What’s Next for Trails?

Posted 08/04/15 by Patrick Wojahn in Taking Action, Policy | Tagged with District Of Columbia, Funding, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

After a lot of debate, the Senate recently passed two highly important transportation bills. One bill, already passed by the House of Representatives, is a short-term extension of current transportation law to prevent the Highway Trust Fund from running out of money. The other bill is a long-term reauthorization of the surface transportation funding bill (H.R. 22, or the DRIVE [Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy] Act) that would fund the nation’s surface transportation infrastructure for the next six years. So how do they affect trails?

Manhan Rail Trail in Massachusetts | Photo by Lynne Graves, courtesy Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism | CC by 2.0

Keeping an Eye on Federal Bike/Ped Spending: RTC Releases TrADE Report

Posted 07/30/15 by Tracy Hadden Loh in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Funding, State and Federal Programs, Transportation and Health

Every year, the Transportation Alternatives Data Exchange at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (TrADE @ RTC) compiles a spending report that provides transparency and valuable comparisons for people interested in transportation policy. This report breaks down the funds apportioned by state, as well as the funds states spent on projects that qualify for reimbursement (obligations) through TAP. The 2014 report was recently released; here are a few highlights.

Photo by Jon Lowenstein

Congress Extends Transportation Legislation Again; Attacks on Walking and Biking on the Rise

Posted 06/08/15 by Patrick Wojahn in Policy | Tagged with Federal, Funding, State and Federal Programs, Transportation and Health

At the end of May, the president signed an extension of MAP-21, the nation’s surface transportation law to fund roads, bridges, public transportation, and walking and biking projects, just as the current law was set to expire. The extension runs until July 31, 2015, when the Highway Trust Fund is expected to be depleted. Here's a closer look at what this could mean for trails, and biking and walking infrastructure.

The Burke-Gilman Trail in Washington is used by more than 2,000 people each day. | Photo courtesy University of Washington

What Does Obama’s Grow America Act Mean for Trails?

Posted 04/03/15 by Patrick Wojahn in Policy | Tagged with Funding, State and Federal Programs

On March 30, 2015, the Obama Administration released the latest version of the GROW America Act, intended to fund surface transportation for the next six years. Here's how this act could affect trails and bike/ped projects across the country.

Photo courtesy Sarah Clark Stuart

Leveraging Federal Dollars to Create a Regional Legacy

Posted 09/29/14 by Sarah Clark Stuart in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Pennsylvania, State and Federal Programs

In early October, the Philadelphia region will celebrate the opening of the 0.75-mile-long Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk. This trail, which is built along the east side of the Schuylkill River, is the final in a set of trail segments funded by federal dollars in 2010 that sparked an incredible amount of interest, enthusiasm and prioritization of other trail projects around the region.

Photo © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy/Ada Hao

Putting Safety First: U.S. DOT Takes Major Step Forward to Prioritize Safety for Bicyclists and Pedestrians

Posted 09/15/14 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Policy | Tagged with Federal, Government Agencies, Safety and Law Enforcement, State and Federal Programs

Last week, U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the department’s new plan to increase walking and biking and reduce pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. The initiative seeks to improve safety by supporting better infrastructure for walking and bicycling, and providing research and tools for local governments and advocates.

Photo © Zachary Marsh

Putting It All Together: How One Pennsylvania Agency Is Turning Community Trail Visions into Reality

Posted 09/04/14 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Government Agencies, Pennsylvania, State and Federal Programs

For many, government agencies represent a land of endless bureaucracy, where dreams of new trails wither, bogged down by mountains of paperwork and red tape. Not so at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which has played a key role in creating new trails for over two decades. To date, Pennsylvania has more than 1,700 miles of trails.