2016_Spring-Summer

rtc policy 101

rtc policy 101

RTC has been fighting to grow and protect federal funding support for trails and walking and biking infrastructure for almost 30 years.

Show Me the (Trail) $$

R TC continues to pursue assets are created and protected. As the organization celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016, Rails to Trails magazine is taking a brief moment to spotlight this work, which often takes a backseat in our coverage of the American rail-trail movement, but which has been critical to its growth and evolution. “Since the early days of RTC, the orga- nization has worked tirelessly to ensure adequate public investment in these essen- tial pathways,” says Kevin Mills, senior vice president of policy at RTC. “Today, our work continues at the federal, state and local levels to enable regions to build the trail networks they need—to connect people and places, and provide healthy outdoor recreation for all.” Here’s a quick look at RTC’s funding priorities for the future and why they’re important to America’s healthy trail future. Learn more at railstotrails.org . Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP): Federal Trail Funding What it is: To put it simply, it’s the single largest federal funding source for trails in the U.S. The current pot stands at $835 million dollars per year, making up only about 1.5 percent of federal transportation spending. How it’s currently distributed: Fifty percent is allocated to each state’s depart- ment of transportation who can choose priority projects. The other 50 percent is split proportionally to: urban areas of more than 200,000 people via metropolitan planning organizations (who decide prior- ity projects for themselves); urban areas of 5,001 to 200,000 people; and areas with 5,000 or less people. Background: RTC helped ensure the inclusion of the program in the 1991 fed- eral transportation bill as “Transportation investment in rail-trails at all levels of government in the U.S. to ensure these essential

RTC’s State and Local Initiative

Enhancements (TE).” Since 1992, thou- sands of trail building and enhancement projects have been made possible through these funds. Sections of the famous Pinellas Trail in Florida, Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama and Olympic Discovery Trail in Washington have all been funded in part through TE/TAP funds. Why it’s a legislative priority: “ The Transportation Alternatives Program has been the backbone of trail building in the U.S. for nearly 25 years,” says Mills. “The federal dollars not only have directly helped to build most of our favorite rail-trails, but they leverage many other resources and have seeded a cultural shift in which trail networks are now under- stood as essential community assets.” TE/TAP has been constantly under attack by various members of Congress over the years. RTC has mobilized to help increase or protect TE/TAP funds in every federal transportation bill since 1991— including increasing TE in 1998, and restoring it following an attack in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2003. In 2012, Congress reduced TE alloca- tions in the federal transportation bill and consolidated it into TAP with two other programs: the Recreational Trails Program and the Safe Routes to School program. In 2015, although some congressmen sought to eliminate TAP, the legislation instead made a symbolic structural change by moving TAP from a standalone program into a broad transportation program (as a subprogram). The new legislation also gave urban regional transportation agencies the ability to transfer out half of their TAP funds to other uses, representing a new vulnerability for TAP. The program did see an immediate increase from $820 million to $835 million per year—and another $15 million increase to $850 million per year for the 2018 to 2020 fiscal years. According to Mills, maintaining the program intact was a real political victory in a bitterly divided Congress, and RTC remains dedicated to protecting and grow- ing TAP going forward. However, the marginal gains are inadequate to meet the

What it is: A focused effort by RTC to encourage more investment at the state and local levels in balanced transporta- tion systems that include trails, and bik- ing and walking infrastructure. Why it’s a legislative priority: “Traditionally, states and localities have focused their limited transporta- tion budgets on road development. Unfortunately, TAP has not grown suf- ficiently to keep up with the demand for more active-transportation infra- structure,” says Drew Dupuy, RTC’s manager of policy outreach. To make up for the declining buying power of federal transportation programs—trail

ADRIAN CABRERO

burgeoning national demand for active- transportation funding, so RTC also is working to grow and diversify the options communities have to fund trails, cycle tracks and sidewalks. TIFIA: Building Active- Transportation Networks What it is: The Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Investment Act (TIFIA) is a federal program—also included in the federal transportation bill—that provides low-interest loans, lines of credit and loan guarantees for transportation projects, including trails, and biking and walking infrastructure. How it’s currently distributed: Via an application process managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation Background: The minimum thresh- old for TIFIA loans has historically been $50 million or more for urban/suburban projects and $25 million for rural proj- ects. In 2015, RTC successfully advo- cated for improvements to the act in the federal transportation bill that would make TIFIA accessible to communi- ties looking to build out their trail and active-transportation networks. In a nutshell—the changes to the act included: 1) lowering the threshold to $10 million for projects involving local governments; 2) enabling projects to be bundled together to reach the threshold; 3) permitting funds to be used to finance State Infrastructure Banks, which can in turn more easily finance rural projects; 4) streamlining the application process for low-risk projects; and 5) allotting at least $2 million per year for application fee waivers for small projects. Why it’s a legislative priority: “We’re reaching a point in the trail movement where people understand that trails aren’t just ‘nice to have,’ but are essential community assets,” says Leeann Sinpatanasakul, advocacy coordinator

builders are innovating to accelerate the completion of trail networks—particularly at the state and local level, where there is the greatest motivation to get networks in place. RTC is taking active steps to establish partnerships with more state and local groups to share best practices, such as the use of gas taxes, to help fund biking and walking infrastruc- ture—a strategy traditionally used by many states only to fund road development.

RTC/JIM BROWN

for RTC. “We want to help communi- ties build connected biking and walking networks, and they need funding to make that happen.” According to Sinpatanasakul, bicycle and pedestrian projects typically cost much less than the previous $50 million threshold; but, in many cases, much more than what is available through TAP funding. Additionally, she says that the long and complicated application process for TIFIA funds—which can require several lawyers and consultants to complete—has served as a barrier for many communities. “These reforms to TIFIA will give communities of all sizes opportunities to access TIFIA funds, which will help them to connect trails into seamless net- works and create safe routes for people to walk and bike on an accelerated schedule,” she states. While Sinpatanasakul says TIFIA may not be right for every commu-

ERVIN VICE

RTC is also working with partners at the state level to help advocate for more state-funded active-transportation pro- grams, like California’s massive Active Transportation Program, established in 2013, or Florida’s Water and Land Legacy Conservation program, passed in 2014—both of which are expected to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to active transportation projects over the next 20 years. “Many people can’t or choose not to drive,” says Mills. “Our goal is to ensure states and localities are not just invest- ing in one mode of transportation, but in balanced transportation systems that serve the mobility and recreation needs of everyone in their communities.”

nity, those communities that are able to take advantage of TIFIA financ- ing can also use innovative ways to pay back the funds. For example, the Chicago Riverwalk is paying back its TIFIA loan over a period of 35 years with funds raised from rent and fees from tour boats, private boat docking, charter boats, leases, sponsorships and advertising. RTC now has plans to educate trail advocates on how to take advantage of this new tool, reach out to local commu- nities who want to build their trail net- works and, over the next couple of years, aid communities who are applying for TIFIA credit assistance for the first time.

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rails to trails u spring/summer.16

rails to trails u spring/summer.16