State Transportation Enhancements funding


In the article FHWA: NOT BEING ALL IT COULD BE there is a national concern about how the recent Federal recision order of transportation funds and how it will affect bike and pedestrian projects here in Martyland.

The short answer it shouldn't. Read more to hear SHA's response to the question. from BBC-Talk list post:

Federal Rescissions are basically a budgeting trick. The feds promise (in SAFETEA-LU) more then they can actually deliver. Each year's budget then trims some of these promised funds, when money is 'called back,' bike-ped projects are often the first to be cut.

But people are smarter in Maryland. I confirmed a couple things with the good folks at SHA this afternoon-

"The good news is that Maryland will not be cutting projects in response to the federal rescissions. Our Finance staff is conservative in programming federal funds so that our project commitments can be maintained when rescissions occur, or when federal obligational authority is lower than previous years," says a high ranking official.

In other words, MDOT factors the inevitability of rescissions into the projects it puts on the books.

Further, MDOT does not expect to make any cuts to our Transportation Enhancements (TE), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), or Recreation and Trails Program or funding levels due to federal rescissions. These are the programs that often fund bike-ped projects and which, in many other states, are often the first programs cut.

So, the message is, Maryland's leaders have heard from you that facilities for biking and walking are important to the people of Maryland!

Forums like the BBC list are great for getting the word out on important issues, and it's working! Keep up the great work, since we all know there is much to be dine.

Regards,

Mark Counselman
One Less Car


by B' Spokes

Like most people I live a hectic life and who has the time for much exercise? Thanks to xtracycle now I do. By using my bike for daily activities I can get things done and get an hour plus work out in 15 minutes extra of my time, not a bad deal and beats taking the extra time going to the gym. In case you are still having trouble being motivated; the National Center of Disease Control says that inactivity is the #2 killer in the United States just behind smoking. ( http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/bb_nutrition/ ) Get out there and start living life! I can carry home a full shopping cart of groceries, car pool two kids or just get lost in the great outdoors camping for a week. Well I got go, another outing this weekend.
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