June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 19

Trails Are Transportation, Too

T

he U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Program funds trails through a variety of
matching federal grant programs, including Transportation Enhancements and the Recreational Trails Program. Both
programs are funded through a 18.5 cents per gallon federal
fuel excise tax. The Recreational Trails Programs mostly provides smaller grants of up to $100,000 in several different categories, with the money being leveraged by nonprofits and
public entities into fairly significant benefits for communities
from a relatively minor federal investment. The Transportation
Enhancements program provides larger grants for local government agencies for projects in 12 categories-10 percent of
the car passenger vehicle fuel excise tax revenues are set aside
for this program, and half of that is designated for bicycle and
pedestrian projects.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are available annually to
benefit park and recreation projects that have a transportation component or connection. NRPA is a founding member
of the Coalition for Recreational Trails, a group of national organizations comprised of hiking, biking, off-road vehicle, and equestrian groups that advocate for all types of
trail funding.
Currently, the authorizing legislation for these programs,
called SAFETEA-LU, is up for reauthorization, with the deadline
having been extended several times since 2009. Representative
John Mica (F-FL) has declared his intention to not extend SAFETEA-LU yet again but to pass a new reauthorization bill this fall.
Regardless, NRPA's Chief Public Policy Officer Rich Dolesh says
that the current conditions present some definite challenges for

	

a multi-year reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act.
" Gas tax revenues are going down, " Dolesh says, " because of
the increasing amount of more fuel-efficient vehicles, rising gas
prices, and less vehicles miles being traveled per year. Therefore, the trust fund isn't producing the same amount of revenue.
Many informed observers in the transportation world say that
there's not enough money to fund a full six-year reauthorization. "
Dolesh notes that both the transportation industry and local and state governments prefer a multi-year bill because
of the certainty added to the distribution of funding for cities and states considering long-term, multi-year projects.
Dolesh notes the new bill may include some streamlining of
programs, lumping together projects with differing objectives so that they will need to directly compete for funding.
There also has been some discussion in the Administration
of using a $50 billion transportation appropriation to " jumpstart " some high profile projects as an economic stimulus,
which may leave other smaller projects to languish.
" Advocates for trails fear that if there's a lack of revenues to
fund the overall program, then programs regarded as less than
essential may not be funded, " Dolesh says.
Dolesh says that the American public has shown by many
measures that they want a comprehensive transportation system that includes alternative and non-motorized transportation
networks, beautification and landscaping projects, and objectives related to health and quality of life in communities.
" There's a great record of success in parks and recreation
being essential partners in our nation's transportation infrastructure, " Dolesh says.

www . N R P A . O R G

J U NE 2 0 1 1

Parks & Recreation	

17



June 2011 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2011 - Parks & Recreation

June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 1
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 2
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 3
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 4
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 5
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 6
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 7
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 8
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 9
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 10
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 11
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 12
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 13
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 14
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 15
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 16
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 17
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 18
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 19
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 20
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 21
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 22
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 23
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 24
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 25
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 26
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 27
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 28
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 29
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 30
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 31
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 32
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 33
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 34
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 35
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 36
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 37
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 38
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 39
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 40
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 41
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 42
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 43
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 44
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 45
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 46
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 47
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 48
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 49
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 50
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 51
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 52
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 53
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 54
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 55
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 56
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 57
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 58
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 59
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 60
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 61
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 62
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 63
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 64
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 65
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 66
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 67
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 68
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 69
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 70
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 71
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 72
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 73
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 74
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 75
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 76
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 77
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 78
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 79
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 80
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 81
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 82
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 83
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 84
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 85
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 86
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 87
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 88
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 89
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 90
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 91
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 92
June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 93
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com