National

Potential Funding for Pedestrian & Bicycle Projects in the Federal Economic Recovery Bill

This information is provided by America Bikes and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has been passed by Congress and signed into law. The law provides $789 billion in spending and tax cuts to stimulate the economy. Four pots of funding are of interest to bicycle and pedestrian advocates:

Highway Funding and Transportation Enhancements: The law provides $27.5 billion in highway funding to modernize roads and bridges.

• A total of $26.8 billion of the highway funding is distributed to states based on surface transportation program formulas which take into account population, miles of highway, and other factors.  States must spend 3 percent of their allocation on the Transportation Enhancements program, which is a primary source of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure funding.  The remainder of the "highway" money also creates an opportunity to build complete streets.  All of the highway funding is flexible, and bicycle and pedestrian projects are eligible. The 3 percent in Transportation Enhancements is a minimum requirement, meaning that the states have some flexibility to allocate more money to this program. 
  $550 million goes to roads on federal lands, including $170 million for park roads and parkways.
• 30 percent of each state's allocation is sub-allocated to urbanized areas.
• For Virginia, it appears that the allocation to highways and bridges is $694 million, with projections of $20.8 million going to the state's Transportation Enhancement program. Calculated TE allocations by state.
  

School Modernization: States will be also receiving $53.6 billion in state fiscal stabilization funding. States must use 18.2 percent of their funding – or $9.7 billion – for public safety and government services. An eligible activity under this section is to provide funding to K-12 schools and institutions of higher education to make repairs, modernize, and renovate to meet green building standards. LEED’s green standards for schools include bicycle and pedestrian facilities and access to the school.

Energy Efficiency: $3.1 billion is provided for the Energy Efficiency and Block Grant Program, which provides formula funding to cities, counties, and states to undertake a range of energy efficiency activities. One eligible use of funding is for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

Community Development Block Grants: $1 billion is provided for the Community Development Block Grant Program, which provides formula funding to cities and counties to address a wide range of unique community development needs,

The highest priority for advocates should be the highway funding, as it includes specific funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects through Transportation Enhancements and opportunities to apply Complete Streets principles to the rest of the highway funding.   In Virginia, the Commonwealth Transportation Board passed a policy in 2004 stating that bike and pedestrian accommodations be integrated with all transportation projects.  View the CTB Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations.

Sidewalks and bike lanes make streets and downtowns into destinations for shopping and entertainment. Investing in walking and biking facilities helps local business and is an investment in the local economy.

The other funding sources may include bicycle and pedestrian projects as eligible uses of funding, but the likelihood is much more remote given the large number of competing demands. It is important that advocates take action quickly as states and communities are moving quickly to select projects for funding.

Frequently Asked Questions

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