Active Transportation: The Way to Go
By Marc R. Hills

What if Portland woke up tomorrow with $50 million to spend on walking and biking? It might just happen.

Click here for Our Active Transportation Case Statement-“Way to Go! Portland" (very large pdf- 14.3mg)

As you know, Portland Trails and many other organizations have worked for years to improve pedestrian and bicycling resources in greater Portland . Projects have ranged from basic education and advocacy to bike lanes and trail connectors to creating brand new trails through the woods and across the city. These efforts have always been , and will continue to be , an essential element in developing trails and pathways throughout our community.

But frankly, the projects are piecemeal, and it sometimes feels as though they're accomplished at a glacial pace. Although we have a vision map, comprehensively connecting trails and linking them to public transportation resources such as Portland Metro and Amtrak can also be tough. More frustratingly, some projects seem to be perennially out of reach. I mean, when will we ever find the money to repair the railroad swing bridge at the mouth of Back Cove? Now imagine for a moment if, with one stroke of a fiscal magic wand, that all changed. What if, suddenly, non-motorized transportation became the trendy thing in Portland ? What if instead of scratching for local, state and private funds, the full force of the Federal Highway Administration was behind the efforts of Portland Trails?

What if, suddenly, non-motorized transportation became the trendy thing in Portland ?

Here's the scenario. The last reauthorization of the Federal Transportation bill included funding for an intriguing project called the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program. This project provided $25 million for each of four communities ( Marin , CA , Minneapolis , MN , Sheboygan , WI and Columbia , MO ) to develop bike paths, pedestrian walkways, and inter-modal links to existing public transportation. In other words, exactly the sorts of things that we – sans the big bucks – have been working on here in Portland .

The Federal Transportation Bill is up for reauthorization in 2009. The national organization Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is spearheading a lobbying effort to expand that Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program to fund 50 additional communities nationwide at $50 million each . The name of this lobbying effort is Active Transportation Campaign 2010 (the year the reauthorized funds would become available to recipient communities).

Portland Trails is working with other local organizations and government agencies to ensure that Portland is one of those 50 target communities.

Portland could be one of 50 communities nationwide funded by the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program.

This campaign has three distinct phases, the first of which is already well under way:

Phase I: (2007 - Present) Create a steering committee and develop of a case statement. Portland Trails and members of the Steering Committee will develop a document that makes the case for Portland as one of the communities to receive the expanded transportation funding. Click here for Our Active Transportation Case Statement-“Way to Go! Portland (very large pdf 13.6mg)

Phase II: (2008-2009) Advocacy. Submit Portland 's case statement to our national campaign partner , the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) which will spearhead lobbying efforts in Washington , DC . Portland Trails and our local partner organizations will lobby here in Maine .

Phase III: (2010 and beyond) Implementation. Where the rubber (of the bicycle and sneaker variety) hits the pathways. We get to use those $50 million to make meaningful changes in the way we get around in Portland .

The important thing to bear in mind is that Active Transportation Campaign 2010 is not a pipe dream. The Federal Transportation Bill will be reauthorized. The only questions are what will the Non-Motorized Transportation funding look like and who will receive it? Portland Trails and our local and national allies are working hard to put greater Portland at the top of the list.

 

Who is Active Transportation Campaign 2010?

National partner: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy ( www.railstotrails.org )

Steering Committee:

City of Portland Planning Department
City of Portland Public Works
City of Portland Parks and Recreation
Maine Department of Transportation
Portland Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Greater Portland Council of Governments
Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation Committee
Growsmart Maine
Portland Green Streets

Advisor Organizations that will review the work of the Steering Committee include:

Bicycle Coalition of Maine, East Coast Greenway, Healthy Portland, and many others. A third tier of partner organizations will be kept informed of the Campaign's work and assist in our local and national advocacy and lobbying efforts.