Today, the US Department of Transportation released its interim guidance, which provides states with additional information on how to implement the new transportation bill, MAP-21. Overall the guidance should be helpful to states and MPOs as they implement the bill and there is some good news in the guidance.
Since it is now past October 1 and the MAP-21 transportation law is officially in effect, I was hoping to blog this month about the guidance from US Department of Transportation. Guidance provides additional information to the states about how to implement Transportation Alternatives
It seems like an eternity since the new transportation law, MAP-21, was passed by Congress. But, it has been just two months—and we are now one month away from October 1, when the MAP-21 provisions go into effect. Rather than simply waiting for your state department of transportation to announce how they will operate Safe Routes to School, I wanted to give you some concrete action items for the next month.
By now, you’ve likely heard that the new transportation bill, MAP-21, consolidated bicycling and walking programs into a new program called Transportation Alternatives, and that overall funding was cut by approximately 30 percent. However, the details vary quite a bit state by state.
I have been thinking a lot about how we can ensure Safe Routes to School, walking and bicycling can continue to flourish around the country in our new “MAP-21” world without dedicated funding. So I’ve pulled together a “top 10” list for how Safe Routes to School can survive and thrive.
Since the passage of the new federal Transportation bill (MAP-21) on July 6, I have heard “Oh, isn’t Safe Routes to School dead?”
The answer is a resounding NO!
IT’S ALIVE!
This week, Congress is voting on a new two-year transportation bill, called MAP-21, that will make significant changes to federal transportation policy that negatively impact bicycling and walking programs. Please see our joint statement with the America Bikes coalition for information on the effe