Two local cities are among the recipients of funding from the Arkansas Department of Transportation for its Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and Recreational Trails Program (RTP) for 2020. The announcement came last week.
The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) provides funding for programs and projects defined as “transportation alternatives” for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation.
The list of recipients includes the City of Bull Shoals for $250,000 for its Highway 178 Sidewalks project.
TAP was authorized by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. It is a reimbursement-type grant program that provides for an 80% federal share and a 20% local match from eligible applicants. Under the TAP program, eligible projects can include construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities that include sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle signals, lighting and other safety-related infrastructure. Conversion of abandoned railroad corridors for pedestrian and bicycle trails is also eligible.
The City of Lakeview is among the recipients for the Recreational Trails Program. Lakeview is set to receive $23,000 for its City Park Walking Trail Improvements project.
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is funded through a portion of TAP funds set aside specifically for recreational trails. These funds are eligible for maintenance and restoration of existing trails, development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities and trail linkages and construction of new trails.
In accordance with federal guidelines, the funding allocated for these programs cannot be utilized for highway construction. For 2020, a total of 78 TAP applications ($22.8 million) were received and 43 projects were awarded for $8.9 million. A total of 34 RTP applications ($9.3 million) were received and 12 RTP projects were awarded for $1.2 million.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI