Federal funding is reported as obligations, which occur when an entity creates an obligation for the federal government to reimburse that entity for project costs. Federal law specifies which entities have the authority to create an obligation. Specific federal transportation funding programs sometimes have additional reporting requirements that provide additional information, such as the Transportation Alternatives Program which has its own annual reporting requirement. State Departments of Transportation and other entities with obligation authority may not report spending in consistent ways with one another, but this data provides needed context into federal investments.
Data on this page:
- Federal Funding for Bicycling & Walking Infrastructure
- Number of Federally Funded Bicycling & Walking Projects per Year
- Federal Funding Programs for Bicycling & Walking Infrastructure
- Federal Milestones for Biking & Walking
Federal Funding for Bicycling & Walking Infrastructure
Number of Federally Funded Bicycling & Walking Projects per Year
The number of bicycle and pedestrian projects funded by federal programs was not tracked until 1992 after the passage of the landmark Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). ISTEA created the Transportation Enhancements Program, which for the first time provided a program where bicycle and pedestrian projects were emphasized as an eligible project type. This program provided more than $1 billion for eligible projects during the six years of funding authorized by ISTEA. Prior to ISTEA, federal transportation programs had spent less than $48 million on bicycle and pedestrian projects in the preceding 18 years.
There has usually been a close correlation between federal spending on bicycling and walking and the number of new projects, but since 2014 this relationship seems to have changed – with spending increasing despite fewer new projects.
Federal Funding Programs for Bicycling & Walking Infrastructure
Over time, bicycle and pedestrian projects have become funded from a broader range of federal funding programs. In 1994, over 85% of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects came from the Transportation Enhancements Program – which funded at least 50% of bicycle and pedestrian projects until 2008. The prominent increase in “All Other Funds” in the graph above coincides with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enacted in 2009. Since 2008, no federal funding program has provided more than 50% of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects.
The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act required states to report the number and value of project applications received for TAP funds. In 2016, the first year that states reported the number and value of project applications, states did not fund approximately 50% of applications representing over $1.3 billion in projects.