MethuenRailTrail » Federal http://methuenrailtrail.org Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:10:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Recreational Trails Grants funds 22 programs http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/06/recreational-trails-grants-funds-22-programs/ http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/06/recreational-trails-grants-funds-22-programs/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:50:31 +0000 admin http://methuenrailtrail.org/?p=204 • Bike to the Sea project receives state grant.
“ The Patrick Administration announced that 22 trails projects across the commonwealth will receive grant funding under the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Recreational Trails Grants Program. The DCR program, which is part of the national Recreational Trails Program funded through the Federal Highway Administration, is awarding total of $465,000 in grants to local communities and nonprofit organizations to fund the trails projects.”

]]> http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/06/recreational-trails-grants-funds-22-programs/feed/ 0 $80m in US funds for bike projects unspent in Mass. http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/04/80m-in-us-funds-for-bike-projects-unspent-in-mass/ http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/04/80m-in-us-funds-for-bike-projects-unspent-in-mass/#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:53:41 +0000 admin http://methuenrailtrail.org/?p=111 State ranks last, tapping 37% of grants since 1991


from The Boston Globe
By Alan Wirzbicki
April 14, 2009

WASHINGTON – Despite a recent declaration by Governor Deval Patrick that encouraging bicycling is a priority for his administration, Massachusetts ranks last in the nation among all states in requesting federal funds for bike lanes, rail-trails, and similar improvements and has failed to use more than $80 million set aside for the state.

Since 1991, the state has only spent about 37 percent of its share of the funding designated by Congress for such projects, a far lower rate than in any other state, according to federal statistics. By comparison, Connecticut and Rhode Island have spent 99 percent of their federal funding.

Massachusetts has been allocated $135 million for bike and pedestrian funding since 1991, and has used $51.1 million. Critics blame the gap on a cumbersome application process that requires cities and towns to pay for planning and engineering studies, submit applications to two state agencies, and then wait, sometimes for years.

(continue reading)

]]> http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/04/80m-in-us-funds-for-bike-projects-unspent-in-mass/feed/ 0 Tax dollars at a walk http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/02/tax-dollars-at-a-walk/ http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/02/tax-dollars-at-a-walk/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:10:40 +0000 admin http://methuenrailtrail.org/?p=149 The Federal Highway Administration funds this marvelous site called www.walkinginfo.org which provides encouragement to get out and walk. Aside from basics about personal walking and its benefits, it provides terrific resources for improving walkability of one’s own community.

Walking Solutions:

Visit the site and poke around at all the free downloadable documents, once the damn snow goes away, perhaps a few of us can get out and do a casual audit of the walkability of our community with Walkinginfo.org’s Walkability checklist (download pdf)

]]> http://methuenrailtrail.org/2009/02/tax-dollars-at-a-walk/feed/ 0 How Bikeable is Your Community? http://methuenrailtrail.org/2008/08/how-bikeable-is-your-community/ http://methuenrailtrail.org/2008/08/how-bikeable-is-your-community/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:12:52 +0000 admin http://methuenrailtrail.org/?p=181 The US Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration came up with a checklist to judge the bikeability of your community.

(Direct Link) (Printable PDF version)

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