The BUILD America 250 Act

In May, Congress took some progressive strides when the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved the BUILD America 250 Act.

However, this bill makes it harder for places to build out the connected active-transportation infrastructure Americans want and need.

This initial bill helps land management organizations understand how to plan advocacy efforts in the coming months.

The Rails to Trails Conservancy has produced a summary of what’s in the bill and what’s not:

• IN: Transportation Alternatives (TA) remains as a 10% set-aside of the surface transportation block grant, growing slowly to about $1.66 billion annually; also, new eligibilities for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) allow funds to be used as a local match, but the bill makes it easier for states to transfer funds out of the program.

• IN: Recreational Trails Program (RTP) persists at $84 million despite the huge delta compared with the $281 million in gas tax receipts paid into the Highway Trust Fund by off-road motorized trail users.

• OUT: Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) is repealed, which creates challenges for communities across the United States pursuing large-scale active transportation networks.

• IN: Safe Streets and Roads for All ramps up at an average per year of $750 million.

• NEW: Surface Transportation Accelerator Grants, a complementary program to BUILD that includes a collection of previously stand-alone discretionary grant programs, is included at $2.4 billion annually and focuses on connectivity across modes of travel, safety and the economy.

These programs are necessary to provide the safe, connected networks that allow people to walk, bike and roll to the places they need to go. You can find RTC’s in-depth analysis of the bill on their website.