Amid the cuts local entities are finding more control. | JAY WESTCOTT/POLITICO Cities forge own (bike) paths

It’s a familiar path: As demand for bike and pedestrian projects skyrockets, federal funding shrinks.

That’s how things played out in the new transportation law, under which Congress cut overall funding from $1.2 billion to $808 million, consolidated three federal programs into one and even changed the program’s name — from Transportation Enhancements to Transportation Alternatives.


But amid the cuts and changes, local entities are finding something to smile about: more control.

“Now, we basically control how a certain chunk of the funding will be distributed on a local level while still being able to apply for other funds for projects,” said David Cary, a city planner in Lincoln, Neb. “We’re assuming the funding is going to dip down for the state, but locally, we might actually be guaranteed more money.”

Cary’s praise was for the amendment sponsored by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), which redid TA funds, putting half of each state’s share into a pot that is divvied up proportionally to areas of 200,000 or more people. The money bypasses the state’s Department of Transportation and goes right to the local agencies. The other half is distributed as competitive grants administered by the state.

Local control is key, said Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City’s mayor.

“I would prefer that all of these decisions were made at the local level and not at the state level,” he said. “When you go back to the stimulus plan, what you saw there was large amounts of money going to states that never reached the local level. And that’s something we as mayors see as a continual problem with federal dollars.”

Cornett, who has been leading the charge on the expansion of bike/ped offerings in Oklahoma City, says it is up to cities to take the lead on such projects — and they’d be wise to stop waiting around for federal funds.

Oklahoma City is funding its 10-year infrastructure plan with a nearly eight-year, penny-on-the-dollar sales tax, which was approved by voters.

“Cities have to realize that whatever the federal government is going to do, it’s not going to be enough,” Cornett said. “And cities that proactively take control of their own quality of life initiatives are going to be the cities that ultimately attract the highly talented young people and create the jobs. And if you’re waiting for the federal government to build your pedestrian-friendly initiatives, you’re going to get left behind.”

The final funding levels in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century program were whittled down from the Senate version of the bill, which initiated the Cardin-Cochran agreement.

“We were disappointed,” Caron Whitaker, campaign director at America Bikes, said of the decrease. “We hadn’t loved the idea of consolidation but were OK with that given the funding levels that came out of the Senate.”

But she said she and her colleagues were happy with the increased access for local governments and looking for other funding pots to supplement the reduced funds.

The new transportation bill consolidated three programs that were previously used for bike/ped projects: Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program. America Bikes has identified other potential sources of funding: the Highway Safety Improvement Program, the Surface Transportation Program and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, the latter of which cities like Chicago and Washington have used to fund bike share projects.

According to America Bikes, bicycling and walking account for 12 percent of all trips and 14 percent of all transportation-related fatalities — but only 1.5 percent of federal transportation funding.

“It’s interesting that at this point, where biking and walking is increasing across the country, where the percent of roadway fatalities that are bicyclists and pedestrians are growing, that that’s the place that we’re cutting funding,” Whitaker said.

She said investing in bike and pedestrian projects also makes sense for traditional transportation advocates. More people biking means fewer cars on the road, Whitaker said, which means less wear and tear to repair and cleaner air.

America Bikes is working with advocates to make sure local governments know that funds are available and to lobby their states to not opt out of any money.

“There’s a lot of decision makers and communities that rely on [the cut] programs and are still trying to figure out what happened,” Whitaker said.

Groups and cities are already shifting gears in response to the changes.

Cary said Lincoln is focusing on prioritizing its wish list. The city recently adopted a long-range transportation plan that took into account funding expectations for the first time.

“It really came out loud and clear that we don’t have enough funding to get any of our projects done. We can’t do everything we want to do for sure, and in some cases, can’t do everything we need to do,” he said. “We have to find those projects that will do the best for the system or make some critical links in the system so that not only is it used but it helps the system overall.”

Cary said the investment is a no-brainer: “To attract and retain vibrant young professionals and to have people start their families and grow and raise their families, you have to have parks and bike and pedestrian facilities that are well maintained. … People do want them. Most polls say that a trail system is one of the most highly rated amenities of a community.”