Funding Backlogged Pedestrian and Bicycle … Backlogged Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure...
Transcript of Funding Backlogged Pedestrian and Bicycle … Backlogged Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure...
LD 193Maine needs $10.7 million to pay for and complete 39 backlogged bicycle and pedestrian projects like sidewalks, bike paths, and multi-use trails.
bikemaine.orgAbby King, Advocacy Coordinator, Bicycle Coalition of [email protected] | 207-956-6538
Funding Backlogged Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure Projects
The Maine Department of Transportation does not have enough money to pay for improvements that would make communities across Maine safer and more welcoming for biking and walking.
The MaineDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program has a backlog of 39 pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects that is has already approved, but cannot fund. LD 193 would fund the entire backlog of projects.
The persistent backlog means that communities all over Maine continue to wait for projects that have been chosen as worthy of funding.
Twenty projects in the backlog, totaling $5.7 million, are shovel-ready. They have already been designed or funded for design by MaineDOT and simply await construction funds. (See Table 1.)
Nineteen projects in the backlog, totaling $4.9 million, are still waiting for funding for design and construction. (See Table 2.)
Over and above these projects, there are five multi-use paths across the state that need funding to be completed or expanded. These projects have already been studied and in some cases designed. Yet some have been waiting for construction funds for 15 years. These types of facilities are more expensive to build and there is virtually no funding available for them.
Maine’s supply of funds is wholly inadequate to meet growing demand• In 2012, the U.S. Congress cut dedicated funding for walking and biking projects in Maine by 47%. • MaineDOT receives approximately $4.5 million every two years in federal funds for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. • Each year, MaineDOT can only meet, at most, 10% of the demand for stand-alone bike/ped projects. In 2012, 92 communities applied for a competitive grant for bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure projects. These proposed projects totaled $45 million. • Cuts to Municipal Revenue Sharing have forced towns to do more with shrinking budgets, making them more reliant on competitive federal monies awarded by MaineDOT.
For an interactive map of all 39 unfunded projects, please visit:https://batchgeo.com/map/bikepedbond
Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects create jobs in Maine. Building biking and walking infrastructure creates more jobs for Mainers than projects for cars alone. An average bicycle project creates 3.6 more jobs per $1 million invested than a car-only project.1 Small projects like sidewalks and bike paths are labor intensive and more likely to be contracted to local construction companies rather than larger out-of-state firms.
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is a statewide organization that works at the local, state, and federal levels to improve the bicycling and walking conditions of Maine communities. We advocate for changes that protect the rights of people who walk and bike, increase their safety, and encourage more to join their ranks. These efforts help Maine sustain a vibrant economy, a clean environment, and a healthy workforce.
LD 193 Creates Jobs, Improves Transportation Safety and Access, and Benefits Communities All Across Maine
1 Garrett-Peltier, Heidi, “Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impact,” Political Economy Research Institute University of Massachusetts, Amherst, June 2011, p. 1, Accessed 2/5/15 at http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.362.5819&rep=rep1&type=pdf 2 Maine Department of Transportation, “State of Maine Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash History 2009 – 2013,” accessed 12/3/14 at http://www.maine.gov/mdot/traffic/documents/2014/crashdata/Peds_BikescrashPublication09-13.pdf3 FHWA, An Analysis of Factors Contributing to "Walking Along Roadway" Crashes: Research Study and Guidelines for Sidewalks and Walkways. Report No. FHWA-RD-01-101, FHWA, Washington D.C., 2001.4 Reynolds, Connor CO et al. “The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature” Environmental Health. October 2009. P. 17. Accessed 2/6/15 at http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1476-069X-8-47.pdf 5 INPIRG, “Transportation and the New Generation.” Accessed 12/3/14 at http://inpirg.org/reports/transportation-and-new-generation6 AARP Public Policy Institute, “Analysis of the National Household Travel Survey,” accessed 12/3/14 at http://www.aarp.org/research/ppi/liv-com2/resources/nhts-AARP-ppi-liv-com/
References
More people are choosing to bike and walk – they need safe places to do so. Over 1,300 pedestrians and over 1,000 bicyclists were hit by cars in Maine from 2009 - 2013.2 Of those hit, 55 pedestrians and 6 bicyclists were killed. In 2014 alone, 12 pedestrians and 2 bicyclists were killed. Many are hit while walking on or adjacent to the road in a place without sidewalks.
Sidewalks, multi-use paths, and similar facilities improve safety. Providing walkways separated from the travel lanes could help to prevent up to 88 percent of pedestrian deaths that occur when the pedestrian is walking in the road.3 Bicyclists who travel on bike lanes and bike paths have a lower risk of crashing and being injured than those that ride on the road with traffic.4
Mainers need access to alternative transportation. Americans are driving less than they used to, and young people are leading this trend. Vehicle miles driven by people aged 16 – 34 decreased by 23% from 2001 to 2009.5 Older Americans need safe transportation options like biking and walking. Over 17% of Maine’s population is 65 or older and about 21% of Americans 65 or older do not drive.6
Maine’s Current Supply of Funds Can’t Keep Up With Growing Demand. In 2012, the U.S. Congress cut dedicated funding for walking and biking projects in Maine by 47%. MaineDOT receives approximately $2.2 million every year in federal funds for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. This funding is only enough to meet, at most, 10% of the demand that Maine communities have for bicycle and pedestrian projects.
20 Projects Are Already Designed or Funded For Design
TABLE 1 Municipality County
Funding
Needed For Project Description Funding
Needed
Augusta Kennebec Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Improvements connecting the Farrington Elementary School to the Augusta Middle and High School Complex.
$137,024
Bangor Penobscot Construction Sidewalks and crosswalk improvements along Hogan Road, Longview Drive, and Stillwater Ave.
$144,518
Ellsworth Hancock Construction Sidewalk on Route 1A and connecting Birch Ave to Church St
$300,400
Farmington Franklin Construction Sidewalk to fill gap on Farmington Falls Road and Main Street
$91,165
Gardiner Kennebec Construction Multi-Use Path for the Cobbossee Stream Trail connecting the KRRT to Route 126
$1,136,000
Gorham Cumberland Construction Multi-Use Path connecting downtown Gorham to neighborhoods along a discontinued RR bed. Including connections to sidewalks.
$576,800
Kennebunk York Construction Drainage and Pedestrian Improvements on Factory Pasture Lane and Depot Street.
$208,000
Lubec Washington Construction Sidewalks on Washington Street $157,400 Norway Oxford Construction Sidewalks to connect the Oxford Hills
Comprehensive School to the Gouin Athletic Field Complex
$102,400
Orrington Penobscot Construction Sidewalks on Route 15 $528,603
Phillips Franklin Construction Sidewalks on Main Street $241,782
Raymond Cumberland Construction Sidewalks on Main Street $125,382
Rockland Knox Construction Sidewalks connecting downtown to the library, nursing home, and community rec. building
$53,243
Sanford York Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements at Willard Elementary and Sanford Junior High.
$165,600
Scarborough Cumberland Construction Sidewalks on Gorham Road and Crosswalks at the Route 1/Gorham Road Intersection
$442,960
Searsport Waldo Construction Sidewalks on Prospect Street connecting residential neighborhoods to Route 3
$314,400
Standish Cumberland Construction Sidewalks connecting Route 25 and Route 25 to Colonial Marketplace and the elementary school.
$556,980
Waterboro York Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements connecting neighborhoods, sport fields, and the Middle School.
$375,700
Waterville Kennebec Construction Sidewalks at Inland Hospital connecting to Kennedy Drive and Wilkes Street
$69,600
Wilton Franklin Construction Closing a Gap in The Sidewalks on Main Street $50,030
TOTAL
$5,777,987
TABLE 2 Municipality County
Funding
Needed For Project Description Funding
Needed Bangor Penobscot Design and
Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian connection from Sylvan Road to Stillwater Ave
$513,278
Bangor Penobscot Design and Construction
Sidewalk on Finson Road, Phase 3 of Downeast School sidewalk improvements
$122,483
Bath Sagadahoc Design and Construction
Sidewalk on Oak Grove Ave and Judkins Ave $152,710
Bath Sagadahoc Design and Construction
Design for a Multi-Use Path connecting Brunswick Bike/Ped Path to Bath and West Bath
$160,000
Bethel Oxford Design and Construction
Sidewalks on Main Street $33,391
Calais Washington Design and Construction
Sidewalk, curb ramps, and crossing safety improvements from Garfield Street to Calais Elementary
$97,582
Camden Knox Design and Construction
Sidewalks and some curb extensions along Washington, Bay View, and Commercial Streets
$491,314
Kingfield Franklin Design and Construction
Sidewalks on Route 142 $124,859
Limerick York Design and Construction
Sidewalks on Main Street $127,920
Limestone Aroostook Design and Construction
Sidewalks on High Street to connect the Maine School of Math to Rt 89, on Huggard Ave, and on Main Street to connect Rt 89 to Albert Michaud Park.
$184,561
Monmouth Kennebec Design and Construction
Sidewalks on Route 132 $257,592
Portland Cumberland Design and Construction
Design for a bicycle and pedestrian connection between Tukeys Bridge and the Martins Point Bridge
$120,000
Presque Isle
Aroostook Design and Construction
Bicycle and Pedestrian connection on Loop Road to connect sidewalks to an existing path near Peace Park
$127,368
Richmond Sagadahoc Design and Construction
Rail with Trail connecting Main Street to High Street and Lincoln Street
$1,060,470
Sanford York Design and Construction
Sidewalks on Pleasant Street connecting to Carl Lamb School
$134,502
Swans Island
Hancock Design and Construction
Light tower repair and restoration at Coat Harbor Light Station
$331,482
Tremont Hancock Design and Construction
Sidewalks on Route 102 connecting Tremont Consolidated School to Route 102
$82,400
Vassalboro Kennebec Design and Construction
Sidewalks in East Vassalboro Village $685,040
Winslow Kennebec Design and Construction
Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail to connect Winslow High School to Kidder Street
$111,920
TOTAL
$4,918,873
19 Projects Need Funding For Design and Construction