Sponsors (10)
Introduced March 2, 2026 by LaMonica McIver · Last progress March 2, 2026
The bill directs substantial federal funding and planning support to build safer, more equitable walking and biking infrastructure—reducing emissions and access gaps—but requires significant federal spending and includes rules (match minimums, project-size thresholds, and federal criteria) that may leave some small or low-capacity communities behind and raise local land-use concerns.
State and local governments (including rural communities) receive federal funding (authorization up to $300M/year and high federal cost-shares up to 90–100% for qualifying areas) that substantially lowers local upfront costs for building multimodal walking and biking projects.
Local and regional governments and communities gain support to build safe, connected walking and biking greenways that improve everyday access to jobs, schools, transit, and parks for urban and suburban residents.
Low-income communities and communities of color are prioritized for support to help reduce disparities in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and improve equitable access to services and opportunities.
Taxpayers fund the program (authorized up to $300M/year through 2031), increasing federal spending which could raise deficits or require offsetting cuts elsewhere.
Matching fund and local commitment requirements may disadvantage low-capacity or cash-strapped jurisdictions, leaving high-need communities unable to compete for construction grants.
Smaller local projects under the $15M eligibility threshold are excluded from construction funding, potentially blocking grassroots, small-town, or neighborhood-scale improvements.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal competitive grant program to plan, build, and improve regionally or nationally significant greenway paths and related property acquisitions.
Establishes a federal competitive grant program to fund the planning, construction, improvement, and real property acquisition for safe, connected greenway paths that the Secretary designates as regionally or nationally significant. Grants target projects that cross jurisdictions or State lines, improve safety and access to jobs, reduce single-occupant vehicle trips and emissions, integrate with transit/parks/waterways, and address equity concerns such as high bicyclist/pedestrian fatality rates and access for low-income communities and communities of color. Applicants must apply in a Secretary-prescribed form, demonstrate community support and sponsor commitments, and meet matching or in-kind contribution requirements unless exempted; projects partly on Federal land require cooperative agreements with the relevant Federal agency. The Secretary must prioritize outcomes like increased walking/bicycling, cross-community connections, transit integration, and broad public support, and must set aside at least $5,000,000 each fiscal year for planning-related activities.