Bikes Don’t Fare Well in Senate Transportation Bill

MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century), the Senate’s recently introduced reauthorization of federal transportation legislation, sets bicycle and pedestrian programs back instead of forward.

Under the current SAFETEA LU, there is dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, Safe Routes to School and trails.  Not so under MAP-21.  Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails Programs have been eliminated as dedicated funding sources.   Projects eligible for these programs must now compete for CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) funds.

America Bikes coalition prepared a side-by-side comparison of the existing programs and what’s proposed in MAP-21.  Read America Bikes response to MAP-21 here.

Expect more action on the reauthorization in coming months.