The Recreational Trails Program (RTP), the federal funding program that supports natural surface trails, has been reauthorized for two years in a bill signed into law last Friday. An $85 million program, RTP strongly benefits mountain bikers and funds the development and maintenance of thousands of trail miles.
“We are very grateful to our grassroots advocates whose relentless calls and letters elevated the importance of RTP. This has been an extremely long reauthorization process — time and time again, mountain bikers rallied to save RTP,” says Jenn Dice, IMBA Government Affairs Director. “We also would like to thank U.S. Sen. Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Petri for their commitment to the program and seeing it through this difficult process.”
RTP has funded iconic mountain bike trail projects across the country, including two IMBA Epics: FATS in North Carolina and Brown County State Park in Indiana. RTP funds were also used in the construction of the just-opened Rockburn Skills Park in Maryland and the Highbridge Bike Park in New York City. IMBA chapters and clubs have become experts in securing RTP grants for trail construction and maintenance. Explore additional RTP-supported projects.
Although IMBA is pleased to see the reauthorization of RTP, they are deeply concerned by the funding cuts to other bicycling and walking programs, such as Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancements. The new law will cut funding for these programs by 60 to 70 percent. Read the America Bikes analysis of the legislation.
