Most of the Monon Trail, including the new South Monon, has been built with TE funding.

An Indianapolis Star editorial backs investing in trails.

Sample letter to send to your congressional representative:

Dear Representative (name),

The U.S. Congress faces a very important vote on the House Floor in September -- H.R. 2989, the spending bill for the federal transportation program. Section 114 of that bill zeroes out funding for building ttrails and greenways.

Proponents of the bill say that the transportation enhancement program will still exist in the re-authorization bill, and that states will have the flexibility to spend their general highway dollars on trail and greenway projects. However, the current provisions of this legislation will take the nation back to the state of affairs in 1991, when these types of projects hardly ever happened. Budget constraints and highway project cost over-runs will ensure that these critical transportation enhancements never get funded.

The transportation enhancements program has done more to inspire community revitalization, create safe places to walk and bicycle, restore historic transportation infrastructure, and spark hometown pride than any other transportation program. These projects have made American communities better places to live.

And in an era when more Americans -- and American children -- are overweight and out of shape, our need for safe and convenient places to exercise is greater than ever.

For less than one percent of the total transportation budget, there is more balance in our transportation system. There is room for personal choice in transportation modes. I trust that you will make the right choice in supporting an amendment to restore the funding for the transportation enhancements program as outlined in the Administration’s original bill.

Sincerely,
(your name)

September 4: Good work, good news!

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to restore transportation enhancements funding in the 2004 Transportation Appropriations bill. The final count for the bipartisan effort was 327 in favor and 90 opposed.

It was with the support of your efforts that we were able to achieve this victory. Thank you for all the calls you made demanding TE funding be included in the upcoming transportation bill.

This funding restoration ensures $600 million dollars in dedicated funding for 2004 and makes possible the continuation of projects such as the Monon and Cardinal Greenway system and the Cultural Trail.

Indiana Congressional Delegation Voting on Petri-Olver Amendment to restore full funding for Transportation Enhancement for 2004:

YES: Visclosky, Chocola, Souder, Buyer, Pence (Cong. Pence signed the "Dear Colleague Letter" encouraging others to vote in support), Carson, Hostettler, and Hill.

NO: Burton

August 31: Do it now!

The vote on H.R. 2989 has been scheduled for Thursday, September 4! If you haven't done so already, please contact your member of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor or vote for the amendment to strike Sec. 114 from the transportation appropriations bill. The elimination of Sec. 114 will restore enhancements funding as a mandated program in the transportation budget.

August 22: Encouraging news

Representative Tom Petri (R-Wisc.) and other Congressional members are sponsoring an amendment to strike Section 114 from the transportation approrpiations bill (H.R. 2989) when it comes to the full House of Representatives in early September. Petri's amendment would restore full funding for Transportation Enhancements.

Greenways supporters should still urge their congressional representatives to vote to restore guaranteed funding for Transportation Enhancements. Do so now, before the House convenes for its fall session.

August 21: From the Hoosier Rails-to-Trails Council and the Indiana Trails Fund:

As you may be aware, federal Transportation Enhancement (TE) funding is in jeopardy, the prime source of funding for trails & greenways. The operative group for restoration of TE funding is the U.S. House of Representatives, accessible from http://www.house.gov/ -- just enter your Zip Code.

There is some confusion on the status of the funding: the crux of the issue is that there is currently no federal transportation funding set aside specifically for Transportation Enhancement projects, e.g., bike/ped facilities such as trails. This effectively reverts funding back to pre-1991 status, a huge step backward, when states had the option of spending on enhancements but rarely, if ever, did (Indiana did not). This is one instance where Congress must step up to the plate & put an earmark on less than 1% of our alotted transportation dollars. This will make all the difference between getting trails funded or allowing cash-strapped states such as Indiana to suck the money right back into highways.

At left is a sample letter you can use.

Past stories

July 25: Federal trail funding peril deepens

By a vote of 33-29 on July 24th, the House Appropriations Committee reaffirmed the decision to eliminate funding in 2004 for “Transportation Enhancement” projects. As previously noted, TE grants have been the single most important source of funding for trail and greenway projects in Indianapolis, in Indiana and across the country.

The full House of Representatives will vote on this appropriations bill when they return from their August recess. Trail and greenway advocates, friends and users of greenways like the Monon, are using the August recess to contact their Congressional representatives to urge restoration of TE funding. For identifying and contacting your Congressperson, visit www.congress.org.

July 21: Most important source of trail funding is in doubt

A 2004 appropriations bill approved by the House Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee on July 11 eliminates all funding for "Transportation Enhancements" activities. If eventually enacted, this would have a substantial adverse impact on trail and greenway development in Indianapolis, the State of Indiana, and across the nation. To give one example, "TE" grants covered the majority of the development cost of the Monon Rail-Trail.

This funding threat has elicited a heated reaction from greenway advocates, trail users and friends. In response to the public opposition to the subcommittee bill, the Chairman of the full House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), has indicated that he intends to offer a "substitute package" when the bill comes before the full committee. The only member of the Indiana delegation currently serving on the House Appropriations Committee is Peter Visclosky, a Democrat from Lake County.

After Appropriations Committee action, all appropriations bills must be passed by the full House of Representatives before they can be sent to the Senate. The Constitution requires all appropriations bills to originate in the House.

For more information, visit www.railtrails.org.