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Transit to Trails Act
1/30/2024, 5:30 PM
Summary of Bill HR 3092
The Transit to Trails Act recognizes the importance of outdoor recreation for physical and mental health, as well as the benefits of connecting people to nature. By investing in public transportation options that make it easier for urban residents to access these outdoor areas, the bill seeks to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle for individuals living in cities.
Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of environmental conservation and stewardship by encouraging the use of public transportation as a more sustainable and eco-friendly mode of transportation to outdoor recreational areas. By reducing the reliance on personal vehicles, the Transit to Trails Act aims to decrease carbon emissions and protect natural resources. Overall, Bill 118 hr 3092, the Transit to Trails Act, is a bipartisan effort to improve access to outdoor recreational areas for urban residents, promote physical and mental well-being, and support environmental conservation efforts through the enhancement of public transportation options.
Congressional Summary of HR 3092
Transit to Trails Act
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish the Transit to Trails Grant Program to award grants to certain entities (e.g., states, local governments, and metropolitan planning organizations) for projects that increase transportation access and mobility to public lands, waters, parkland, monuments, or recreational opportunities for critically underserved communities.
A critically underserved community is (1) a community that can demonstrate it has inadequate, insufficient, or no park space or recreation facilities; (2) a community in which at least 50% of the population is not located within 1/2 mile of park space; or (3) an environmental justice community (i.e., a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or at-risk tribal and Indigenous communities that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, a disproportionate burden of adverse human health or environmental effects).
Among other things, DOT must (1) prioritize the approval of certain projects, such as projects that use low-or no-emission vehicles and those that provide free or discounted rates for low-income riders; (2) develop transportation planning procedures for projects conducted under the program that are consistent with metropolitan and statewide planning processes; and (3) ensure that all new transportation connectors and routes developed under the program are accessible to people with disabilities.
The bill requires grant awards to be at least $25,000 and not more than $500,000.
Further, the bill requires publication of all schedules and routes for transportation systems that are developed with funds from a grant under the program.
