You asked which state grant programs help towns and organizations create bicycle and hiking trails, for the amount of available funding, and for contact information.

SUMMARY

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) oversees two state funded programs (the Connecticut Bikeway and Greenways Small Grant programs) and administers one federally-funded program (the National Recreational Trails Program). The National Recreational Trails Program provides, and the Connecticut Bikeway Program would provide, funding for multi-use recreational trails, including biking and hiking. The Greenways Small Grant program excludes motorized uses. Funding for the Connecticut Bikeway Program, if allocated by the state Bond Commission, would come from state General Obligation bonds; funding for the Greenways Small Grant comes from the sale of Greenways commemorative number plates. Funds for the National Recreational Trails Program come from the federal Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act but are administered by DEP. DEP's contact person for these programs is Laurie Giannotti (860) 424-3578, or laurie. giannotti@po. state. ct. us).

The Department of Transportation administers federally-funded trails programs. Information about these programs can be found in OLR Reports 2001-R-0687, 94-R-0260, 98-R-0010, and 99-R-0849 (attached). Additional information on these programs is available at: ConnDOT: Welcome to Pathways through Connecticut - A Transportation Guide to Multi-Use Trails; http: //www. fhwa. dot. gov/safetealu/summary. htm; http: //www. fhwa. dot. gov/safetealu/factsheets/saferoutes. htm; and http: //www. fhwa. dot. gov/environment/te/index. htm.

CONNECTICUT BIKEWAY GRANT PROGRAM

§ 68 of PA 07-7, June Special Session, authorizes up to $ 6 million in General Obligation bonds each in FY 08 and 09 for DEP to establish a Connecticut bikeway grants program for municipalities. The grants may be used to plan, design, acquire land, and build bikeways and multiple use paths. Grants also may be used to oversee the construction of, and publicize, the bikeways. Under the act, a “bikeway” is any road, street, path, or way specifically designated for bicycle travel whether or not it is shared with other modes of transportation.

Eligible projects may include (1) bicycle trails that complete sections of the Connecticut portion of the East Coast Greenway, (2) bikeways that connect to the East Coast Greenway, and (3) bikeways and multiuse paths established as part of the State Recreational Trails Plan (see below).

To be eligible, a grant application must provide for (1) a 20% local match provided by municipal, federal, other state, nonprofit, or private funds; (2) municipal maintenance of the bikeway; (3) public input; and (4) project designs that comply with the 1999 American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials' Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities. The act requires the local match to be 10%, rather than 20%, if grant applications include more than one municipality.

State grant funds may be used to match federal funds being used for the specified purposes. The act allows DEP to use up to 2% of the bond allocation for administrative purposes. It also requires DEP to establish an advisory committee to advise the commissioner on the allocation of funds. The committee must be made up of trail users and advocates the commissioner designates. The act directs the Department of Transportation to work with DEP. According to DEP's Tom Tyler, if the Bond Commission allocates funding for the program, the department will begin informing people of the grant process early next year.

East Coast Greenway

The East Coast Greenway is a joint project of hikers, cyclists, and other trail advocates to create a 3,000 mile traffic-free path linking East Coast cities from Maine to Florida. The route is decided by people in each state, working through state committees which are coordinating route selection. A great deal of the proposed route is already in public ownership. Because it will grow through the linking of locally owned and managed trail segments, implementation will be incremental and costs spread among the many state and municipal agencies responsible for building their segments. More information is available at The East Coast Greenway (www. greenway. org).

State Recreational Trails Plan

This plan, now being reviewed, is intended to ensure that Connecticut's trail system is maintained and expanded to meet the needs of trail users without compromising DEP's mission to conserve and protect state resources. A draft version of the plan can be found at Connecticut Recreational Trails Plan (http: //www. ct. gov/dep/lib/dep/outdoor_recreation/trails/trailplan905. pdf).

NATIONAL RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM

DEP administers the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), an assistance program of the U. S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. RTP funds may be used to:

1. build new trails (motorized and non-motorized);

2. maintain and restore existing recreational trails (motorized and non-motorized);

3. provide persons with disabilities access to the trails;

4. purchase and lease trail construction and maintenance equipment;

5. acquire land or easements for a trail, or for trail corridors; and

6. operate educational programs that promote safety and environmental protection related to recreational trails.

DEP may award grants to private nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and state departments. Sponsors may submit proposals for any of the listed uses. Grant amounts vary, but are capped at $ 75,000 for each local project. Projects having a statewide or regional significance may receive more.  

These are reimbursement grants, with the federal share limited to 80% of the total project cost. Project sponsors must incur costs for work actually completed, and then submit vouchers to DEP for payment. No payment can be made for work done before a fully-executed grant agreement. A project sponsor should tailor the project so that it can be quickly implemented once it is approved. Grants may be delayed or denied if a review finds they would have a negative impact on the state's natural, cultural or historic resources.

Proposals are solicited annually. Proposed projects must have funding available and be located on land open to the public. Necessary permits and easements, if needed, must be in place before beginning the project.  

According to DEP's Giannotti, applications are closed for federal FY 08, for which $ 974,104 is available. Grant awards will be announced in late winter or early spring. She said the application process for FY 09 grants will be announced in December 2007.

GREENWAYS SMALL GRANT PROGRAM

The Greenways Small Grants program provides grants to towns, regional planning agencies, regional councils of governments, and nongovernmental organizations to plan, design, and implement greenways projects. By law, greenways include open space corridors used for recreation or non-motorized transportation (CGS §§ 23-100 and 101). Individual grants are capped at $ 5,000. According to Giannotti, a total of just over $ 70,000 is available for this program, $ 50,000 of which will be awarded for FY 08. Applications for FY 08 are being accepted through January, 2008.

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