Virginia Enhancement Awards for 2001 (fwd)

Sun Jul 8 15:26:52 CDT 1973

     VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT AWARDS FOR 2001
       by Allen Muchnick, member VBF Board of Directors

On June 21, VDOT's Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) finalized its
annual selection of projects for federal funding under the TEA-21
Transportation Enhancement Program.  A list of all 119 project awards
totaling $20,288,000 is posted at
http://www.vdot.state.va.us/info/CTB/default.htm (click under June 2001
CTB meeting).

Below, the 24 bike-related Enhancement awards, totaling $3,469,000, are
listed by VDOT construction district.  The number and size of bike-related
awards within each district is compared to all Enhancement projects and
funds awarded.  For each bike-related award, the federal funds allocated
and its share of the funds requested for the project are stated. 

Statewide, bike-related projects accounted for 20% of the awarded projects
(24 of 119) and 17% of the awarded funds ($3,469,000 out of $20,288,000),
but the prevalence of bike-related awards varied widely among the nine
VDOT districts.  As in the past, the preponderance of the submitted and
awarded bike-related projects involve shared-use paths (rail trails,
roadside paths, and trails along rivers or streams), but this year at
least three modest awards reportedly include bike lanes. 

If you're dissatisfied with the quantity and/or quality of the
bike-related awards in your part of Virginia, now is the time to develop
projects for award in 2002 in collaboration with your local government
planners and elected officials.  The next annual deadline for submitting
Enhancement funding applications to VDOT is January 31, 2002.  In some
Virginia localities, proposed Enhancement project applications must be
formally submitted for an advertised local public hearing by the early
fall. 

Successful Enhancement applications in Virginia demonstrate evidence of
strong community support, are tailored to VDOT's multi-faceted application
process and application scoring scheme, and are brought to the attention
of appropriate CTB members.  With your local involvement, a larger and
better set of bike-related Enhancement projects can be awarded in 2002. 

According to the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse, a
joint venture of the Federal Highway Administration and Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy, the completion of awarded Enhancement projects in Virginia
lags behind all but four or five states.  The CTB's practice of awarding
incomplete funding to projects may be a significant factor in this outcome
but can also be part of the solution.  The Virginia Bicycling Federation
will continue to monitor this situation and push for changes that expedite
the completion of approved projects. 

2001 BIKE-RELATED TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT AWARDS LISTED BY VDOT DISTRICT

=======================================================================

BRISTOL DISTRICT: 2 bike-related awards out of 15 total (13%)
$295,000 for bike-related projects out of $1,971,000 (15%)

* Town of Marion: 3-mile trail (Main St to state park), $250,000 (78%)

* Town of Damascus: rail trail, $45,000 (98%)

======================================================================= 

SALEM DISTRICT: 3 bike-related awards out of 12 total (25%)
$466,000 for bike-related projects out of $2,012,000 (23%)

* City of Radford: bike lanes and walking trails, $100,000 (33%)

* City of Salem: 7-mile path along Roanoke River, $269,000 (16%)

* Town of Blacksburg: Hokie Trail, $97,000 (20%)

======================================================================

LYNCHBURG DISTRICT: 3 bike-related awards out of 11 total (27%)
$175,000 for bike-related projects out of $1,580,000 (11%)

* Amherst County: 7-mile Piney River Rail Trail, $100,000 (15%)

* City of Lynchburg: ped/bike facility with Kemper St Station, $25,000 (8%)

* Town of Amherst: bike lane and sidewalks on Bus-29, $50,000 (17%)

=======================================================================

RICHMOND DISTRICT: 1 bike-related award out of 16 total (6%)
$50,000 for bike-related project out of $1,957,000 (3%)

* Town of La Crosse: rail trail, $50,000 (15%)

=======================================================================

HAMPTON ROADS DISTRICT: 5 bike-related awards out of 18 total (28%)
$527,000 for bike-related projects out of $3,267,000 (16% of money)

* City of Norfolk: 5000-ft trail, $189,000 (100%)

* City of Chesapeake: 1.4-mile trail in Western Branch borough, $100,000
(100%)

* City of Suffolk: rail trail from downtown to City of Chesapeake, $50,000
(25%)

* City of Virginia Beach: 4500-ft trail along Shore Dr, $150,000 (75%)

* Town of Chincoteague: trail along Maddox Blvd, $38,000 (99%)

=======================================================================

FREDERICKSBURG DISTRICT: 2 bike-related awards out of 8 total (25%)
$404,000 for bike-related projects out of $2,087,000 (19% of money)

* Richmond County: multimodal heritage trail, $48,000 (100%)

* City of Fredericksburg: trail extension along Rappahanock River,
$356,000 (100%)

=====================================================================

CULPEPER DISTRICT: 1 bike-related award out of 7 total (14%)
$102,000 for bike-related project out of $2,062,000 (5% of money)

* Fauquier County: 1 mile greenway/trail to Community College, $102,000
(44%)

=====================================================================

STAUNTON DISTRICT: 2 bike-related awards out of 16 total (13%)
$150,000 for bike-related projects out of $2,087,000 (7% of money)

* City of Waynesboro: bike/ped facility, $100,000 (27%)

* Town of Timberville: sidewalk and bike lane on Memorial Park Dr, $50,000
(24%)

===================================================================

NORTHERN VIRGINIA DISTRICT: 5 bike-related awards out of 14 total (36%)
$1,300,000 for bike-related projects out of $2,302,000 (56% of money)

* Fairfax County & City: Accotink Gateway Trails, $488,000 (100%)

* Fairfax County: Mason Neck Trail, $200,000 (100%)

* Loudoun County: Purcellville-Round Hill Trail, $140,000 (48%)

* Loudoun County: Develop Trail Master Plan, $100,000 (52%)

* City of Alexandria: Eisenhower Ave Trail, $372,000 (56%)

========================================================================

STATEWIDE AWARDS: 0 bike-related awards out of 2 total (0%)
$0 for bike-related projects out of $775,000 (0%)

========================================================================

Allen Muchnick
Arlington VA
muchnick at capaccess.org
703-237-8967