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At a time when future bicycling funding is threatened, a look back
Funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects is under attack.
1. Transportation Enhancements, a key funding source, has survived repeated direct attacks in the Senate, thanks to bicyclists speaking up.
2. The outline of the House transportation re-authorization bill would entirely eliminate Transportation Enhancements, along with the Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails programs. Even the vague language about eligibility seems to imply that states would have to jump through additional hoops to use federal funds on bicycling and walking projects.
3. We had to fight hard in the Senate to maintain even diminished dedicated funding. Not to mention the mandatory sidepath law inserted into the bill that threatened bicyclists’ right to roads on public lands.
But what would it look like if we didn’t have Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to Schools (and the non-motorized transportation pilot program) and the Recreational Trails program?
Here’s the amount of federal money states have spent on bicycling and walking projects each year since 1992:
Click to enlarge.
We’ve seen tremendous growth over the past twenty or so years, with a notable spike during the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the stimulus. Active transportation projects are popular and local and regional agencies are increasingly calling for these types of projects, but they need support from federal funds.
Here is where the funds came from, by funding program:
What if we didn’t have Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School & the Pilot Program, and Recreational Trails?
Just imagine all for trails, bridges, and road facilities that would not exist without the blacked out funds.
Now, here’s the picture for FY2011, using newly released numbers from the Federal Highway Administration:
And without dedicated funds?
Pretty bleak. As these charts illustrate, it is going to be a critical year for the National Bike Summit to maintain dedicated funding for bicycling and walking projects and fight for bicyclists’ rights. Register now.
Darren Flusche
League Policy Director
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
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November 21st, 2011 at 10:03 am
[...] At a time when future bicycling funding is threatened, a look back [...]
November 21st, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Only when our transportation managers start taking bicycling and walking as seriously as they take driving, can we get rid of these dedicated funding sources that try to goad them to do the right thing. When the U.S. and the various states automatically include funding for efficient, safe accommodations for multimodal transport as a forethought rather than afterthought, we can relax.
November 22nd, 2011 at 7:15 am
It’s ironic that I am watching the news of a cyclist killed by a motorist in South Florida last night, as another example of the need for awareness training and safer places to ride.
November 28th, 2011 at 7:51 am
I don’t think cyclists need government funding, other than for road user awareness and education. What we really need is equal rights to our roads.
November 28th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
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