MAP-21 Putting Pedestrian and Bike Programs on the Chopping Block

Joe Linton breaks the news that the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is “transitioning” pedestrian and bike improvement projects out of its funding sphere, leaving some high profile infrastructure projects high and dry and in need of funding.

“Right now, 49 projects, totaling over $90 million, are on Metro’s list for ‘transition,’” writes Linton.

According to Linton, Metro is rescinding the funding due to the impacts of 2012’s MAP-21 transportation bill: “Funding used to be through a program called Transportation Enhancements (TEA), which was eliminated. Now bike and ped funding is channeled through Transportation Alternatives (TA), which funds more types of projects with less money than was available under TEA.”

Now Metro staff is exploring a transition process to the state Active Transportation Program (ATP)—i.e., withdrawing earlier Call for Project funding and providing grant writing assistance to cities which will now have to enter the statewide ATP process.