Spending on bicycle and pedestrian improvements by the U.S. Department of Transportation more than doubled in fiscal 2009 thanks largely to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), according to Outdoor Industry Association.
The sum includes all Safe Routes to School and Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program obligations, but may not include sidewalks that were part of a larger highway or bridge project. It also includes spending on bicycle and pedestrian safety projects and rail to trail projects.
Total federal spending on such projects reached $1.19 billion, up 120% from the prior year, according to a chart published by DOT. The money helped finance 3,010 projects, up from 1,817 the prior fiscal year. ARRA accounted 34% of the spending, or $405.3 million during fiscal 2009, which ended Sept. 30., with the balance coming from existing federal programs.
“It continues to be an improvement, and it continues to be a tiny fraction of the money that's available to potentially be spent on biking and walking,” said Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclists, who also noted that bike and pedestrian projects still only account for about 2% of federal transportation spending.
