This just came in on my e-mail:
As you may have read in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) September eNews, states were mandated to "rescind" (cut from funds not yet spent) $2.2 billion in transportation funds by August 25. We were concerned that heavy-handed, disproportionate cuts would be made to Transportation Enhancements (TE), the nation’s largest funding source for trails, walking and bicycling.

Unfortunately, we were right. Nearly $580 million—more than one-fourth of the total transportation rescission, or more than 10 times what would have been proportional—was cut from TE alone.

Speak up now!

To target TE so disproportionately by cutting the equivalent of nearly eight months worth of TE funding across the country does great damage to the future of trails and other walking and bicycling infrastructure.

California cut many times TE’s proportional share.

Please contact your governor to voice your concern, and ask that these wrongs be addressed moving forward.

Thank you,

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy


P.S. For a detailed breakdown of cuts by state, please see RTC's rescissions table.

P.P.S. For background on this issue—including how to interpret any feedback you receive from your state officials—see RTC’s "Funny Money" article about how states have responded in the past to our concerns about TE rescissions, and why we don’t buy these responses.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
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+1-202-331-9696