Federal Funding for Conservation and Recreation: Trails Funding by the Department of Transportation

Download

Date

Jan. 31, 2009

Authors

Joseph Maher

Publication

Issue Brief

Reading time

1 minute

Introduction

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) has emerged as the largest single source of funding for multiuse paths and trails in the United States. Since 1992, transportation enhancement (TE) activities have contributed $5.6 billion1 in federal funds to support more than 14,0002 projects for paths, trails, and bicycle facilities. The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) has funded more than 10,000 projects, awarding $800 million in matching federal grants to states for recreational trails. In this backgrounder, we provide a brief history of DOT funds benefiting recreation as well as program descriptions and funding trends for TE activities and the RTP.

Download

Topics

Public and Private Lands

Authors

Joseph Maher

Related Content

On the Issues — Jul 19, 2024

On the Issues: Communicating Flood Risk, Flood Response, and More

A biweekly newsletter connecting global current events, pressing climate and energy policy news, and economics research from RFF scholars. This week: communicating flood risk, flood response, and more.

Resources Radio — Jul 9, 2024

Loved to Death? Social Media and Rising Visitation to National Parks, with Casey Wichman

Casey Wichman discusses the influence of social media on the popularity of national parks and the effects of increased visitation on overcrowding and park revenue.

Resources Radio — Jun 25, 2024

What Can Cell Phone Data Tell Us about Outdoor Recreation?, with Daniel Phaneuf

Daniel Phaneuf discusses methods of estimating the value of environmental goods, such as spaces for outdoor recreation, by using data collected from cell phones.

Journal Article — Apr 1, 2024

Social Media Influences National Park Visitation

This peer-reviewed article explores the empirical link between social media attention and national park popularity.