Monday, September 10, 2012

New Jersey holds on to its Federal Trail Funds

Our friends at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign reported earlier today that New Jersey and 47 other states have decided to use their Federal Trail funding (Florida and Kansas opted out).  This is great news here and around the country.  With the new federal transportation law, MAP-21, states could have otherwise opted to used these funds for more "traditional" transportation projects, like highways, railroads, airports, etc. 

The reason why these funds have been preserved was because advocates and everyday citizens demanded that these funds be used for what they were originally intended.  Yes, recreational trails are good for maintaining our physical fitness but if planned properly, many of these trails can also serve transportation purposes as well.  That 48 states decided to preserve these funds is a good sign and sends a clear message to those politicians that still don't quite get that alternative transportation is indeed still transportation.

No comments: