Evaluating the Role of Federal Transportation Funding Flexibly and Investments in Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure

Recent surface transportation bills have provided greater flexibility in how federal transportation funds can be used. One outcome of this is that more funding is available for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects. In this study the authors evaluate to what extent metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are taking advantage of flexible federal funding to support pedestrian and bicycle projects by examining projects included in their most recent transportation improvement programs. The authors also evaluate if greater spending on these projects results in greater pedestrian and bicycle mode share and fewer fatalities. The authors find that while funding patterns vary significantly across the ten MPOs we evaluated, many are using flexible funds for pedestrian and bicycle projects. These are funds that could otherwise have been spent on highway or transit projects. The authors also find some evidence that greater spending on pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is associated with higher pedestrian and bicycling mode share though they did not find an association with fatality rates.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADA20 Standing Committee on Metropolitan Policy, Planning, and Processes.
• Authors:
  • Montano, Stephen
  • Rowangould, Gregory
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2018-1-7 to 2018-1-11
• Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 19p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycles; Fatalities; Government funding; Infrastructure; Investments; Metropolitan planning organizations; Modal split; Pedestrians
• Uncontrolled Terms: Flexible funding
• Subject Areas: Finance; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01658487
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 18-06361
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 31 2018 10:37AM