When President Obama signed the federal Economic Recovery Package into law recently, it included funding that could be used on bicycle and pedestrian projects in every state.
AmericaBikes and the Safe Routes to School Partnership are two of the many advocacy groups that are recommending how local advocates can ensure that the federal money gets to local bicycling and pedestrian projects.
One of their targets is the so-called Transportation Enhancements, generally 3% of the highway funding allocation to states. This is a direct source of funding for most bike lanes, bike paths, sidewalks and other such facilities.
State funds
Nationwide, that's nearly $803 million. The breakdown along the Pacific and Northwest states: California – $77 million; Idaho – $5.5 million; Oregon – $10 million; and Washington – $15 million. See all the state-by-state Transportation Enhancement funding.
If local communities have passed Complete Streets legislation, then any road and bridge improvements considered for the other 97% of highway funding has to consider bicyclists and pedestrians.
Other sources of funding include $53 billion for school modernization (bicycle and pedestrian facility additions or improvements are allowable to green building standards); $3.1 billion for energy efficiency block grants (bicycle and pedestrian projects are eligible); and $1 billion to Community Block Grants.
Take action
AmericaBikes and Safe Routes to School prepared a how-to for local advocates seeking to get bicycle infrastructure in their communities entitled “Take Action for Bicycling, Walking and Safe Routes to School on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”
Here are some highlights of that report:
1. Quickly familiarize yourself with ready-to-go bicycle and pedestrian projects as the states have just 120 days to obligate half of their funding;
2. Ask about road and highway projects to ensure that they can become Complete Streets;
3. Write a letter to your governor about shovel-ready bicycling and pedestrian projects (see sample):
4. Call your local mayor to discuss local priorities for stimulus funding and the potential for including bicycling and pedestrian projects (draft talking points).
If you think that our elected officials naturally include bicycling and pedestrian projects in funding, consider this report by the US Public Interest Research Group. Only 0.3% of the cost of proposed state projects for the stimulus bill involved bicycle or pedestrian facilities.
Our involvement now can help bicycles get the nation's economy rolling again.
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