Metro Bike/Ped Study

Metro conducting a study on bike and pedestrian access to the rail system with the goal of making easier to access Metro by foot or by bike.  Check out the Metro study website and be sure to take the rider survey.

Bike/Ped projects coming up short in stimulus
updated 5.21.09

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress in February of this year, provided major new funding sources to help states with transportation projects.  The legislation required that states and DC use half of their available funds within 120 days (by May 17th) of the legislation being passed.  A total of $123.5 million was allocated for DC, $431 million for Maryland (with $129 million sub allocated for urban areas), and $694.5 million for VA (with $208 million sub allocated for urban areas).  The bill also allocated a percentage of funds to the transportation enhancements program which is often used in part for bicycle and pedestrian projects.  Enhancement funds total $3.7 million in DC, $12.9 million in Maryland, and $20.8 million in Virginia.

Click the links below to visit your state's stimulus webpage.

District of Columbia>>

Maryland>>

Virginia>>

Metro>>

The bad news

While biking and walking projects have been funded through the stimulus in Arlington, Alexandria and DC, as of May 20th, a total of ZERO dollars have been requested for bike and pedestrian projects in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, as well as Fairfax County in VA..  Metro has also requested no stimulus money for improving bike access or bike parking.   ZERO dollars!!!   At a time of a severe budget crisis that is impacting county budgets across the region, the economic stimulus package is an ideal way to fund bike and pedestrian projects.

Additionally, while funds have been allocated for roadway resurfacing projects little work has so far been done to see how these roadways can help improve travel by bike by adding bike lanes or shared use lanes.

How Do We Get the Money?

All projects that receive stimulus funding have to be included on the region's Transportation Improvement Program or TIP.  The TIP is a list of priority transportation projects that are being funded, at least in part, by federal dollars.  Amendments to the TIP must be approved by the Transportation Planning Board.  As mentioned before no TIP amendments for bike projects have been approved in Montgomery and Prince George's County or Fairfax, Virginia.

DC TIP Amendments>>

MD TIP Amendments>>

VA TIP Amendments>>

Metro TIP Amendments>>

 

We still have a chance

Half of a state's stimulus funds needed to be allocated by May 17th, states have one year from the date of the bill's passage to allocate the remainder.  But local officials wont fund bike projects if they dont hear from local cyclists.

Another opportunity exists at the Council of Governments which seeks to apply for additional stimulus dollars through a compettive grant program for a Pilot Rapid Transit Program.  This is another opportunity to improve corridors for cyclists.

What you can do

All projects that receive stimulus funding have to be included on the region's Transportation Improvement Program or TIP.  Amendments to the TIP must be approved by the Transportation Planning Board.  WABA has created stimulus webpages for each state where you will find out more details about what you can do to help get federal stimulus dollars for bike projects.  Please see the links below. 

District of Columbia>>

Maryland>>

Virginia >>

Expand Bike sharing
updated 5.4.09

DC's Smart Bike program, the first third generation bike haring program in the US, started as a pilot project with 10 stations and 120 bikes.  WABA wants to see the system expanded to more locations in DC, and expanded in a way that other surrounding jurisdictions can buy in to the program.

Improve Bike Access/Bike Parking at Metro

updated 5.4.09

WABA is currently working with Metro on improving bike parking at rail stations by replacing old bike racks with inverted U racks.  In the near future Metro will also begin work on a bike and pedestrian access plan that we hope will make it easier and safer for people to access rails stations by foot or by bike.