Trail Funding
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Trail Funding |
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It has been said that Walking Trails are an exorbitant luxury in these times
of tight budgets. The Town can't afford them so the argument goes,
without a tax increase, and taxes are too high already in order to pay for
basic services such as education and public safety. This argument makes the assumption that fresh air, and free exercise unencumbered by hazard, are still a fact of life. Not too long ago fresh water was also free, and anybody that would attempt to sell air (even for automobile tires) was laughed at and avoided. Times are changing though, and while life becomes ever more complicated and filled with tension, it is also becoming more difficult (and expensive) to get away and relax. Our health is suffering from stress and lack of exercise, even as our lives are said to become easier due to labor saving devices. Taking this into account, it would seem that a very compelling argument could also be made in favor of having a trail nearby. One could say that rejecting a trail would be an act of monumental shortsightedness in these times of poor physical fitness. How safe are we really, with reduced health and shortened life expectancy? Does education for our children really have to come at the expense of saving some open space in which we can relax, walk, admire some tranquility and perhaps discuss common interests with others? In 1991 enough people had thought about this idea, that the United States Congress enacted a six-year bill to authorize a series of measures to aid the development of non-motorized 'enhancements' to the Nation's transportation system. The programs which were developed under this "Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) provide for reimbursement (80 percent) on a competitive basis for projects that best meet the goals set out in the legislation. The program proved very popular, and was renewed in 1998 as the Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty First Century (TEA-21). It has been pointed out that only one and one half cents of every transportation dollar are currently being spent on non-motorized transportation enhancement projects. Even so, funding was threatened in late August of 2003 by a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee vote to zero out the funding for the program beginning October 1st; while at the same time greatly increasing the amount to be spent on motorized roadways. This resulted in such intense intense grass roots lobbying by the many who use and enjoy trails, that an amendment was introduced and the these non motorized funds restored when the bill reached the full House. The process remains however one of first making the decision as to whether it would be better to plan an alternate use of the land which is being abandoned, or whether to let events take their course. History shows us that planning always provides a better result. Hopefully some of the information to result in a better discussion... helping to improve the decision making... can be obtained here. |