The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) confirmed last week that Florida and Kansas opted out of the Recreational Trails Program under the new federal transportation bill passed by Congress, while 33 other states will continue to participate.

 

IMBA and a coalition of other bicycling, hiking and trail user groups was still working to confirm the status of 15 other states.

 

The RTP – a federal funding program that supports natural surface trails – was reauthorized by the U.S. Congress earlier this year. The RTP is an $85 million program that strongly benefits mountain bikers by helping pay for the development and maintenance of thousands of trail miles.

However, in reauthorizing the program earlier this year, Congress included a new provision that allows governors to opt-out of funding the program, thus diverting the money back to a general fund that pays for traditional transportation projects. Governors that decide to refuse RTP money must do so by Sept. 1.
 
On August 15, IMBA delivered letters to all 50 governors, each signed by trail groups from their state. At least 1,154 organizations nationwide signed on, asking their governors to continue to fund the valuable RTP work in their state.


IMBA applauds the following states that have chosen to continue trails funding:
 


 •Alabama
 •Arkansas
 •California
 •Delaware
 •District of Columbia
 •Georgia
 •Hawaii
 •Idaho
 •Illinois
 •Indiana
 •Kentucky
 •Louisiana
 •Maine
 •Massachusetts
 •Mississippi
 •Montana
 •Nebraska
 •Nevada
 •New Hampshire
 •New Jersey
 •New Mexico
 •New York
 •North Dakota
 •Ohio
 •Pennsylvania
 •South Dakota
 •Texas
 •Utah
 •Vermont
 •Washington
 •West Virginia
 •Wisconsin
 •Wyoming