Trump’s budget proposes cuts to bike infrastructure funding
Announced today, President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget appears to carry bad omens for spending on cycling infrastructure and outdoor recreation.
Proposals to cut Department for Transportation spending by 13% over 2016 levels, worth some $2.4 billion, would mean cuts to the TIGER grants that have previously assisted in the building of transport schemes that have included bike infrastructure in the big picture. Such projects have recognized and indeed delivered positive change in delivering grassroots cycling. As outlined by PeopleForBikes, the TIGER funding is useful to communities as it assists in project delivery that is bypassed by traditional federal transportation programs.
Separately, President Trump also plans to trim $1.6 billion, or 12%, from the Department of Interior budgets. This department is responsible for 20% of U.S. land and thus has a big say in the future of recreational cycling nationwide.
PeopleForBikes has said that it will continue to press the case for funding for active travel with those in power.
Among other U.S. cycling headlines to emerge this month NACTO posted data that revealed a rise from 320,000 hires to over 28 million bike share rides in just six years.
Thus far Donald Trump’s policies seem to offer a gloomy outlook for the bicycle business at large. To read analyst Jay Townley’s many columns on the topic, click the links below: