Let’s see, the Recreational Trail Program (RTP) that gets $1,158,618 annually can only afford $30,000 per project. While Transportation Enhancement (TE) fund has over $25,000,000 of unobligated funds, enough to fund this $109,000 project 229 times. I think funding this thing in full will still allow for “many counties” to participate. I really can’t believe no one else sees a problem here.
The $30,000 grant is the state’s maximum award for recreational trails. The aim is to allow funding for as many counties as possible, SHA spokesman Charlie Gischlar said.
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The State Highway Administration wants to expand more environmentally sound forms of transportation, and bike trails are great for that, Gischlar said.“It is something that we are really very excited to help local jurisdictions with,” he said.
The problem with TE is that Maryland has the highest local match in the nation and Maryland has incredibly difficult rules to qualify for that funding that other states do not have to put up with. While Maryland’s RTP major draw back is the $30,000 limit (again something that only Maryland has.) I find it difficult to believe that SHA is really that interest in helping the local jurisdictions.
Even with the money, the project won’t be complete, because the city is still looking for funding to build the underground link beneath U.S. 15, “the critical connection,” Alderwoman Kelly Russell said.
In terms of car centric highway improvement projects, the money unspent in Federal programs cannot be used for anything. But in terms of bike/ped projects the remaining balances are huge! We need to get the State to rethink their policies in funding bike/ped projects.
State Law:
§ 2-602. Public policy.
(i) Ensure that there is an appropriate balance between funding for:
1. Projects that retrofit existing transportation projects with facilities for pedestrians and bicycle riders;
What do you think? Is having 229 projects of this nature that go unfunded despite having the funds for these projects that can be paid for in full with no local match a “balance of funding?” We zero out all transportation funding pools to the nearest extent that big car centric projects will allow. Shouldn’t we also try to zero out all funding pools for bike/ped projects to the nearest extent possible or would it be better not to spend that money and just give it back to the Federal Government? And yes it seems that Maryland would rather do the latter then accommodate bicyclists.
Maryland has a below the national average obligation rate (they spend very little of their Federal money) for all Federal programs that can be used for bike/ped sans the RTP. Personally I don’t think that’s well balanced way to do things. Anyway, Alderwoman Kelly Russell you have email as I think I found your funding but we are going to have to fight for it.
Quotes are from WTOP’s coverage https://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=2227824
Related articles:
National Recreational Trail Grants Available
Who’s in charge of funding for bike/ped projects?oldId.20110110204930276