A popular federal program that pays for bicycle and pedestrian trails throughout the country nearly got erased from the budget last week. In a secretive session, a U.S. House subcommittee quietly removed several hundred million dollars from the 2004 budget for what is called "transportation enhancements."
Pinellas County alone would have lost $3-million earmarked for a trail project that would eventually link Fort DeSoto Park to the Pinellas Bayway and, ultimately, the Pinellas Trail. In fact, the Pinellas Trail could not have been finished without enhancement funds over the years, which paid for expensive overpasses at Park Street and Central Avenue. Hillsborough County has several trail projects valued at more than $4-million planned for next year.
Rails to Trails Conservancy spotted the threat in an Appropriations subcommittee and wrote to Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Largo, for help. "I urge you to oppose this ill-conceived action when the bill is considered at full committee," said Keith Laughlin, the conservancy's president.
Young, the powerful Appropriations chairman and long a proponent of trail and sidewalk projects at home, could be riding to the rescue. He will file his own amendment to the subcommittee's bill (essentially, he'll rewrite it) "to address some of his concerns, which includes funding for transportation enhancements," John Scofield, a spokesman for Young, said Friday.
Since 1991, Congress has diverted a small portion of the federal gasoline tax to the enhancements program. Now, more than $300-million a year goes for projects such as bicycle and pedestrian trails, rail-to-trail conversions, bike lanes and sidewalks, which contribute to a community's liveability. The program grew so popular that Congress renewed and enlarged it in 1998. Not only do trails provide healthy recreation, they also promote energy conservation and reduce air pollution.
Anyone who doubts the program's importance need only look at the Pinellas Trail. Two-thirds of the 90,000 people who use the trail each month have a destination in mind, meaning they choose to walk or bike instead of using their cars. Considering such success, Brian Smith, Pinellas' transportation director, is puzzled over why Congress would consider cutting the funds. "Now that we have so much interest in it, we should be increasing the amount rather than diminishing it," he said.
The leading culprit is Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., chairman of the Transportation and Treasury subcommittee. Istook cooked up the raid on trail funds and refused to release documents that would have alerted the public. Istook can't claim he did it to hold the line on spending. His subcommittee recommended an increase in highway spending of $4-billion more than the amount requested by the White House. He wasn't going to make his home state suffer along with the rest of the nation, however. On his Web site, Istook brags that Oklahoma will get more than its share of transportation dollars.
Support for bicycle and pedestrian trails should not be held hostage to the shenanigans of a single representative. We encourage Rep. Young to reinstate full funding for transportation enhancements.
