Cash is on the market in your neighborhood. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation gives billions for investments in energetic and public transportation infrastructure that helps People get the place they want and need to go with out having to depend on a private automobile. The query is: how will you assist your neighborhood entry it?

America Walks with its companions the League of American Bicyclists and the Secure Routes Partnership have shaped the Intersections Initiative, a useful resource to attach communities with the funding they should construct streets that work for everybody. Earlier this month, we kicked off the Initiative with a webinar that lined among the federal packages which have a decrease barrier of entry: the Transportation Options Program and Secure Streets and Roads for All Grant Program. Learn on to be taught extra about the right way to finest entry funding from every of those packages.
These two packages aren’t the one methods to fund safer infrastructure for strolling and biking. We invite you to entry the Intersections Initiative web site and attain out to discover the right way to work with different members of your neighborhood to construct help for protected infrastructure, by a wide range of versatile transportation funding on the state, native, and federal ranges.

The Transportation Options Program

Marisa Jones, Coverage & Partnerships Director with the Secure Routes Partnership, recommends the Transportation Options Program (TAP) for communities trying to entry federal funding for strolling and biking for the primary time. 

TAP gives funding for strolling, biking, and safe-routes-to-schools initiatives in each state. Not like many different federal transportation packages, TAP funds are allotted by competitions on the state stage, which makes for a smaller pool of candidates. As well as, 59% of TAP funding is channeled into separate competitions based mostly on neighborhood dimension, to make sure each place is ready to construct protected strolling and biking infrastructure.
Need some examples of what’s been constructed with TAP funding? See what’s been attainable throughout the state of Delaware and in Durango, CO, and Corvallis, MT.

Why begin with TAP?

All kinds of candidates are eligible, together with native governments, regional transportation authorities, transit businesses, state and native parks businesses, colleges and college districts, Tribal governments, non-profits, and small MPOs. For the reason that funding is already devoted to strolling and biking infrastructure, you don’t must additional argue your case and compete towards different kinds of transportation initiatives. Traditionally, about half of all TAP functions get funded and that quantity is just anticipated to extend. Due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation, TAP funding is at an all-time excessive, beginning with $1.3 billion in 2021. This quantity will increase annually till 2026 when it is going to attain a 70% enhance over pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation ranges.

The best way to Get Began

Step one is to search out extra details about your state’s TAP competitors, together with when it’s held and the right way to apply. The Secure Routes Partnership and League of American Bicyclists preserve state-specific TAP truth sheets, developed for the Intersections Initiative, which embody a few of this data. State DOTs even have their very own TAP webpages and every state has a TAP coordinator, who generally is a helpful useful resource. 

Every state runs their TAP program slightly in another way, so take the time to determine what makes an utility in your state aggressive. Pre-work is usually required for profitable functions and usually includes demonstrating public help, resolutions of help from native authorities, and accumulating knowledge to establish wants and present under-investment in strolling and biking infrastructure.

Secure Streets and Roads for All

Secure Streets and Street for All (SS4A) is one other nice level of entry for communities trying to make strolling and biking safer. Ken McLeod, Coverage Director for the League of American Bicyclists, advises communities to use for each its planning and implementation grants. 

SS4A is a brand new discretionary grant program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation. Its objective is to considerably scale back and/or remove roadway deaths and accidents by security motion plan growth and implementation. This system has a selected emphasis on defending individuals exterior automobiles, like pedestrians, bicyclists, and other people utilizing mobility units.

How SS4A works

SS4A funds $5 billion in planning and implementation grants over a five-year interval (i.e. $1 billion annually by 2026). Sixty p.c of funds go towards implementation grants that construct everlasting infrastructure, 40% towards planning grants. For planning grants, there are two sorts: motion plan grants and supplemental planning grants. Motion plan grants provide funds to communities trying to shift to a Secure Techniques Strategy, whereas supplemental planning grants help current plans and its actions, together with quick-build initiatives and programming. 

Not like TAP, SS4A is run immediately by USDOT. Funding goes on to counties, cities, cities, transit businesses, MPO, and Tribal governments. This previous yr, USDOT 473 planning grants and 37 implementation grants. A lot of smaller communities received planning grants, placing them within the pipeline for future implementation funding. Nonetheless, this system was undersubscribed and $200 million went unawarded, so communities on the fence about making use of shouldn’t hesitate!

Key steps for making use of to SS4A

First, decide in case your neighborhood already has an current plan. If it doesn’t, an utility for an motion plan is a option to get one. If it has a just lately created plan, a supplemental planning grant may help construct momentum and show feasibility. Implementation grants construct on efforts like these and make them everlasting.

It additionally helps to have a look at functions which have received beforehand to get a way of what made them profitable. What have they got in widespread? They align with the Secure Techniques Strategy to street security, collaborate with residents who face essentially the most hazard to deal with their wants, deal with Excessive Harm Networks to take advantage of out of investments and help deprived communities in accordance with the administration’s Justice40 Initiative. 

Making the case regionally for safer streets

What when you’re a neighborhood chief and never essentially eligible to use immediately to those packages? What’s your position? 

Broad neighborhood help is often wanted to get buy-in for an utility from businesses and elected officers. You as a neighborhood chief can work to carry businesses and elected officers on board.  A mix of neighborhood help plus both company or elected official help is usually the prerequisite to motion. Present them how harmful streets immediately have an effect on the lives of their constituents, show that there’s broad help for change, and draw on profitable examples from different locations that deal with the difficulty. 

Want help making the case? Attain out to the Intersections Initiative and we may help! Comply with all of our webinar content material by visiting our web site.

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