House Dems: Support TAP

On September 17, the U.S. House Transportation Committee will be voting on the transportation bill. One of the issues they’ll be debating is whether or not to continue the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which is the main source of funding for bicycling and walking across the country. 

Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) sponsored a letter, signed by all House Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, that requests continued funding for TAP. The letter asks that Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFezio (D-OR) and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Ranking Member Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) for continued support for the program.

Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars are awarded to build sidewalks, bike lanes, Safe Routes to School programs and trails. In addition, TAP gives cities the power to choose the projects that best meet local needs.

“Less than 2 percent of federal transportation funding goes to the Transportation Alternatives Program, which funds bike and pedestrian projects. But communities leverage these small funds to get big results,” Larsen said in a press release. “To make sure safety comes first for everyone who uses our roads, whether they bike, bus, drive or walk, local communities need these resources to invest in bike lanes, sidewalks and trails. Better bike and pedestrian infrastructure not only improves safety, it benefits people’s quality of life by cutting down on traffic congestion and pollution.”

We thank Rep. Larsen and all of the Committee’s Democrats for supporting affordable and safe transportation options.

Want to learn more about the Congressional debate over transportation? Tune in on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 1 p.m. ET for a free webinar with Caron Whitaker, the League’s Vice President of Government Relations, about the current status of the bill. Register for the webinar here.​

View a PDF of the letter here, or read it in full below.

*****

September 10, 2015

The Honorable Peter DeFazio

U.S. House of Representatives

2134 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC  20515

The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton

U.S. House of Representatives

2136 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Ranking Member DeFazio and Ranking Member Norton:

As you work on a long-term surface transportation bill, we ask that you continue your history of strong support for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).

We greatly appreciate your leadership to support bicycling and walking and to defend against threats to a multi-modal transportation system.  We stand with you in this fight.  For the House transportation bill to be bipartisan, it must not cut funding for TAP or make policy changes that undermine the local availability of these dollars.

As you well know, TAP provides much-needed funds for local transportation priorities, including bicycling, walking and Safe Routes to School projects.  All funds in TAP must be made available through a competitive process, ensuring that the mayors and local leaders who best know their own communities can seek funding for projects that fit their needs. 

Communities of all shapes and sizes—rural, urban and suburban—are clamoring for TAP dollars to give their residents lower-cost transportation options that reduce road congestion, improve safety for children and families, and boost quality of life.  These types of projects are also essential to helping cities and counties increase property values, grow retail sales and attract tourism. While MAP-21 gave states the option of transferring up to half of TAP funds to other transportation priorities, just 10 percent of TAP funds have been transferred—clearly showing the demand for these funds across the country. This is a good program and it deserves to continue.

Thank you again for your long history of leadership on this issue. We look forward to working with you to preserve the Transportation Alternatives Program in the House transportation bill.

Sincerely, 

Rick Larsen

Member of Congress

Jerrold Nadler

Member of Congress

Corrine Brown

Member of Congress

Eddie Bernice Johnson

Member of Congress

Elijah E. Cummings

Member of Congress

Michael E. Capuano

Member of Congress

Grace F. Napolitano

Member of Congress

Daniel Lipinski

Member of Congress 

Steve Cohen

Member of Congress 

Albio Sires

Member of Congress

Donna F. Edwards

Member of Congress

John Garamendi

Member of Congress

André Carson

Member of Congress

Janice Hahn

Member of Congress

Richard M. Nolan

Member of Congress

Ann Kirkpatrick

Member of Congress

Dina Titus

Member of Congress

Sean Patrick Maloney

Member of Congress

Elizabeth H. Esty

Member of Congress 

Lois Frankel

Member of Congress

Cheri Bustos

Member of Congress

Jared Huffman

Member of Congress 

Julia Brownley

Member of Congress