Interest Spikes for Active Transportation Grants in Washington State

“After years of stagnating interest — and around $50 million available every two years — cities and counties across Washington have flooded the state with requests to build more and more ambitious projects for bicyclists, pedestrians and people traveling to and from schools,” reports David Kroman for the Seattle Times.

“In the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers set aside nearly $1.3 billion over 16 years for “active transportation,” geared toward walkers, bikers and children on their way to school. Of that, $568 million was earmarked for two grants — for routes to school, and bike and pedestrian projects,” explains Kroman.

More than $100 million is up for grabs, according to the article. When applications closed on May 30, the state had received applications for $457 million in funding. The grant applications in the last funding cycle, in 20202, totaled $191 million.

Kroman quotes local sources in the article who says some fo the increase in applications reflects the rising cost of construction, but some of it also might be a result of local governments “asleep at the wheel” on grant funding applications in the past.

The source article below contains numerous examples of the kinds of local projects seeking funding.