May 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 25

By dave tyahla

ADVOCACY UPDATE

Rolling Along, or Just Spinning?

his YeAr's nAtiOnAl legislAtiVe fOruM in March coincided with the extraordi-

nary debate over federal transportation policy on Capitol Hill. Both the House
and Senate made passage of a new surface transportation bill a priority. But was
all this activity a sign of real momentum, or is it another example of Congress simply
spinning its wheels?

Additionally, the issue of funding for the Land and
Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is now tied to the
ongoing Congressional debate on surface transportation. More on that in a moment, but first an update
on where things stand with regard to getting a new
transportation bill, and continued federal support for
walking and biking, through the Congress this year.

thinkstOck

Extension Number 9
On March 29, and after nearly a month of political
posturing on all sides, the House of Representatives and Senate approved the ninth extension of the
Highway Trust Fund and surface transportation programs, which were set to expire on March 31. The
90-day extension will extend the authority to collect
the federal gas tax and the programs funded by it
through June 30, 2012-including Transportation Enhancements (TE), the Recreational Trails Program
(RTP), and Safe Routes to School. These programs
invest approximately $500 million each year in connecting communities, making streets safer, and
promoting healthy modes of transportation such as
biking and walking.
Had the current extension been allowed to expire, thousands of employees at the Department of
Transportation would have been furloughed and all
reimbursement payments to state departments of

transportation would have come to an immediate
halt.
Historically, transportation policy has been viewed
as a " nonpartisan " issue on Capitol Hill, enjoying
strong support and participation in the process from
both Republicans and Democrats. However, the current political climate in Washington has turned the
debate over federal policy on everything from bridges to bike paths into, like many other debates in this
charged election year, a highly politicized issue. If
nothing else, recent action provides some clarity to
the major differences of opinion between the House
and Senate on the future role of the federal government in transportation spending and priorities.
On March 14, the Senate overwhelmingly passed
MAP-21, its bipartisan, two-year transportation bill.
With the help of park and recreation advocates from
across the country, MAP-21 was successfully amended to include improved provisions for bicycling and
walking. The Senate-passed bill would maintain current spending levels for RTP, and reinstate support
for TE activities and Safe Routes to Schools. Although
originally targeted for cuts by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the programs
received very strong, organized public support and
were added by amendment back to the bill when it
reached the Senate floor.

w w w . N R P A . O R G M A Y 2 0 1 2 Parks

& Recreation

May 2012 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2012 - Parks & Recreation