The Wisconsin Bike Federation group says dozens of communities have asked for a total of 62-million dollars in trail funds through the middle of next year. But the state D-O-T only has one-fourth of that amount available through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program, or about 15-million dollars.
Tom Held of Wisconsin Bike Fed says the legislature has cut dollars from communities wanting to increase it's walking and biking paths. He says the legislature took dollars from the line item to fund other transportation concerns...
"....that funding needs to be changed in the future. All the money available, it would be about $16 million, more than double what is being made available each year, should be devoted to making it safer to walk and bike in this state...."
The city of Antigo is among dozens of Wisconsin communities vying for the remaining T.A.P. funding. The Rhinelander city council next month will consider forming a Bike and Pedestrian committee that council member Alex Young says will try to get funding to hire an organization to make a formal city walking and biking plan. He says the long-term trend is for more walkable and bikeable trails....
"....these aren't projects communities would do next week. These are projects that communities would be doing in 2018 and beyond. It shows a long-range effort to make communities were people can be more active and healthier...."
Groups are encouraging next Legislature to raise trail funding, after it cut one-million dollars from the program in the current state budget.
