2021 Adopted Resolutions

Supporting Investment in Connected Active Transportation Systems

Resolution Number: 88

WHEREAS, connected active transportation and trail networks are vital infrastructure that connect communities and help build healthy and sustainable communities; and

WHEREAS, demand for safe places to walk and bike has skyrocketed in cities around the country, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, as people have increasingly recognized the importance of safe infrastructure for walking and biking as a means of both transportation and recreation; and

WHEREAS, surveys are showing that much of the increase in walking and bicycling seen during the coronavirus pandemic will persist even after the pandemic is over; and

WHEREAS, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy estimates that investment in trail and active transportation networks currently proposed in cities around the country would require an investment of billions of dollars to complete and create thousands of jobs; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Household Travel Survey, nearly 50 percent of all trips people take are within a 20-minute bicycle ride, and more than 20 percent of all trips are within a 20-minute walk; and

WHEREAS, the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program, which directed over $25 million each to build connected active transportation networks in four communities around the country, found that such investment led to millions of vehicle miles averted annually and significant increases in biking and walking, while fatal bicycle and pedestrian crashes held steady or decreased in all four communities; and

WHEREAS, low-income communities and communities of color face higher rates of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and worse overall health outcomes that could be resolved in part through greater access to safe places to walk and bike;

WHEREAS, while federal programs such as Transportation Alternatives and the Recreational Trails Program provide investment in active transportation infrastructure around the country, these programs are not sufficient to provide the necessary level of targeted investment to complete the active transportation network planned in cities around the country; and

WHEREAS, both the Senate and the House of Representatives have included funding for connected active transportation networks in their surface transportation reauthorization bills with bipartisan support; and

WHEREAS, the current surface transportation reauthorization bill expires in September 2021 and it is widely recognized that infrastructure investment will be a key component to help the nation's economy recover in the wake of the coronavirus crisis; and

WHEREAS, the Connecting America's Active Transportation System Act (S.684/H.R.2991) would dedicate $500 million per year for five years to invest in connected active transportation systems around the country through a competitive grant program, targeting communities that face disparate rates of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities and historic underinvestment in safe places to walk and bike,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to fully fund the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Grant program with dedicated funding of $500 million per year as provided for in the Connecting America's Active Transportation System Act (S.684/H.R.2991).