Understanding Transportation Enhancements National Scenic Byways Conference Baltimore MD – 22 May 2007 LOGO: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration IMAGE: map of Great Allegheny Passage Who is FHWA? • The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides expertise, resources, and information to improve the nation's highway system and its intermodal connections. • The Federal-Aid Highway Program provides financial assistance to the States to construct and improve the National Highway System, other roads, bridges, and trails. • The Federal Lands Highway Program provides access to and within national forests and parks, Indian reservations, and other public lands by preparing plans, letting contracts, supervising construction, and inspecting bridges. • FHWA conducts and manages a comprehensive research, development, and technology program. • Funds primarily come from the Federal Highway Trust Fund. The Federal-Aid Highway Program and Byways • The Federal-Aid Highway Program has much more available for Byways than just the National Scenic Byways Program. • The regular FAHP can benefit Byways. (arrow to photo) PHOTO: I-4 Mitigation: Ybor City, Tampa FL • Some Byway activities are eligible for Transportation Enhancement (TE) funds. • Some Byways amenities are eligible for Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds. Transportation Enhancements • 10% of STP (including Equity Bonus attributed to STP): $800 million per year (2005-2009) • 12 eligible categories for projects that relate to surface transportation. • $8.2 billion for more than 22,000 projects for FY 1992-2006. • >$1.2 billion for historic and archaeological projects. • >$1.3 billion for byway related projects PHOTO: Soo Line "S" Bridge (WI) – 1910 Transportation Enhancement Activities 12 Eligible Categories 1) Pedestrian and bicycle facilities 2) Pedestrian and bicycle safety and education 3) Scenic or historic easements and sites 4) Scenic or historic highway programs 5) Landscaping and scenic beautification 6) Historic preservation 7) Historic transportation buildings, structures, or facilities 8) Rail-trail conversions 9) Inventory, control, and removal of outdoor advertising 10) Archaeological planning and research 11) Mitigate highway water pollution and wildlife mortality 12) Transportation museums TE Projects must relate to surface transportation: Some factors help establish this relationship: ..Proximity to a highway or a nonmotorized transportation corridor, ..Enhances the aesthetic, cultural, or historic aspects of the travel experience, and ..Serves a past or current transportation purpose. PHOTO: Ben Schroeder Saddletree Factory, Madison, IN PHOTO: Historic marker outside the home of Lyndon Baines Johnson TE Projects must relate to surface transportation: Some factors, by themselves, are not good enough: • Near the road, or can see it from the road. • People used to go there before the highway was built or before people used cars or buses. • People go there to access some tangentially transportation-related services or records or to conduct routine administrative business. Overall TE Requirements • Federally-funded, State-administered program. • Each State has its own process to solicit and select projects for funding. Contact your State TE Manager. • Reimbursable program: not an up-front grant! • Some States have minimum or maximum grant sizes. • In general, 80% Federal share (higher in western States). Some States may have additional restrictions. • Project must be consistent with statewide and metropolitan transportation planning process. • Project must meet Federal environmental requirements. • States are encouraged to use qualified youth corps. FIGURE: Transportation Enhancement Apportionments and Obligations FY 1992 – FY 200 FY 2007–2009 Apportionments will be the same or slightly higher than FY 2005. Millions of Dollars 1992 $353.4 $76.3 1993 $418.3 $116.1 1994 $421.7 $266.7 1995 $423.6 $427.7 1996 $458.3 $426.9 1997 $600.9 $426.5 1998 $521.4 $360.2 1999 $631.7 $362.9 2000 $685.6 $558.0 2001 $731.7 $586.3 2002 $753.7 $648.8 2003 $648.1 $589.7 2004 $859.1 $567.1 2005 $803.2 $492.0 2006 $804.3 $519.3 Programming Across TE Activities Source: National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse FIGURE: Distribution of Federal Funds by TE Activity FY 1992 to FY 2005 Historic Preservation $310 (4.4%) Rehab Historic Transp Facilities $789 (11.1%) Landscaping/Scenic Beautification $1,167 (16.4%) Rail-Trails $564 (7.9%) Scenic/Historic Highway Programs $467 (6.6%) Billboard Removal $21 (0.3%) Acquire Scenic/Historic Easements/Sites $218 (3.1%) Archaeological Planning/Research $36 (0.5%) Bike/Ped Safety Ed $18 (0.3%) Environmental Mitigation $72 (1.0%) Transportation Museums $79 (1.1%) Bike/Ped Facilities $3,367 (47.4%) Total Programmed Funds: $7,108,878,365 for 20,811 projects Federal funds in millions (percent of all Federal funds) Historic Preservation Considerations • A historic preservation project must relate to surface transportation. This is Highway Trust Fund money: we need to protect the integrity of the program. • A historic preservation project must result in historic preservation consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation Projects. • States may define “historic”: most require a facility to be on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. • The project should primarily provide a public benefit rather than private benefit. Preserving historic battlefields . . . …Acquisition of scenic easements and scenic or historic sites; Scenic or historic highway programs PHOTOS: Virginia Civil War Trails Serving visitors interested in history through . . . Scenic or historic highway programs (including visitor centers) PHOTOS: Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, Washburn ND Oregon/California Trail Center, Montpelier ID Using and reusing historic buildings through . . . . . . Scenic or historic highway programs. PHOTOS: Texaco Station (IN) – 1931 Vista House at Crown Point (OR) – 1918 Reviving the rail age through . . . Historic preservation: hotels related to railroads. PHOTOS: The General Morgan Inn, Greeneville TN La Posada Hotel, Winslow AZ Restoring historic transportation buildings through . . . Preserving ferry terminals and historic railroad stations PHOTOS: Ferry Building (CA) – 1898 Lafayette Depot (IN) – 1902 Rocky Mount Train Station (NC) – 1903 Preserving historic transportation infrastructure through . . . …Historic bridges and canals. PHOTOS: Richmond Canal Walk, Richmond VA Rainbow Arch Bridge, Fort Morgan CO Hunterdon County Bridge, Clinton NJ Preserving historic railroad corridors through . . . …Rail-trails. PHOTOS: Mineral Wells To Weatherford Rail-Trail (TX) Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park (UT) Celebrating transportation history through . . . …Transportation museums. PHOTOS: Route 66 Museum, Kingman AZ Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Washington PA Lincoln Highway 200-Mile Roadside Museum Route 66 Museum, Kingman AZ Recreational Trails Program • Funds to develop and maintain recreational trails for all trail uses. • Rises from $60 m in FY 2005 to $85 m in FY 2009: $500 million for more than 10,000 projects since 1993. • Funds distributed by formula to States: see www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/recfunds.htm. • Represents a portion of the Federal motor fuel excise tax paid by OHV users. • States solicit and select projects for funding. • States are encouraged to use Youth Corps. • We encourage partnerships with National Scenic and Historic Trails: www.nps.gov/nts/. • National Trails Training Partnership: www.NTTP.net. RTP Eligible Projects • Maintain and restore existing trails (and bridges) • Develop and rehabilitate trailside and trailhead facilities • Purchase and lease trail construction and maintenance equipment • Construct new trails (limits on Federal lands) • Acquire easements or property for trails (willing seller only: Condemnation is prohibited) • Trail assessments for accessibility and maintenance • Trail safety and environmental protection education • State administrative costs How do I get funds for my project? • Know your State’s selection process. Contact your State Program Manager for TE or RTP. • Develop a workable, realistic project. • Projects that meet more than one TE or RTP category generally rank higher. • Get public support. Projects with partnerships and collaborative efforts generally rank higher. • Develop funding sources and donations. • Involve youth corps: www.corpsnetwork.org. • Develop a good design: consider the project setting, community benefits, accessibility. How do I get funds for my project? • Consider potential problems: – Environmental impacts: wetlands, endangered species, historic, cultural, and archaeological impacts, etc. – Permits and fees. – Public opposition: liability, safety, property rights, environmental impact, differing community values, etc. • Complete the project application completely and accurately. But don’t include excessive material. • Only request funds for eligible activities. If you apply for ineligible items, the State may disregard the application. • If approved, get to work! • Submit an invoice if you want to get paid! This is a reimbursement program, not an up-front grant. For more information: • FHWA Transportation Enhancements website: www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/te • National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse: www.enhancements.org Thank you to the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse, operated under a cooperative agreement with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, for the programming chart and the project examples. • FHWA Recreational Trails Program website: www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails Christopher Douwes Trails and Enhancements Program Manager Federal Highway Administration christopher.douwes@dot.gov 202-366-5013 LOGO: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration