Recreational Trails Program

The purpose of this program is to provide funds to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The funds represent a portion of the motor fuel excise tax collected from nonhighway recreational fuel use.

The FHWA may enter into contracts with for-profit organizations or contracts, partnerships, or cooperative agreements with other government agencies, institutions of higher learning, or nonprofit organizations using its administrative funds. For funds available to the States: the Governor of each State must designate the State agency or agencies responsible for administering this program. The State must have a State recreational trail advisory committee that represents both motorized and nonmotorized recreational trail users, which shall meet not less than once per fiscal year. If the State Recreational Trail Advisory Committee does not meet in a fiscal year, or does not have required representation, the State becomes ineligible for an apportionment. The State agency may accept project proposals from private organizations, or from municipal, county, State, or Federal government entities, and other government entities. The projects must satisfy one or more of the permissible uses. States may provide subgrants to Federal, State, and local government entities and to private entities, at the discretion of the State.

Each State (and the District of Columbia) solicits and selects projects for funding. To be eligible, projects must be selected on the basis of State priorities within the limit of the funds apportioned to each State.

Statutory Formula: Title 23 U.S.C., Part 133(h), 206, and former 213(f) and (g) , Subpart � 1110,Public Law 114-94 .23 U.S.C.The Federal share is subject to a sliding scale under 23 U.S.C. 120(b). Funds from any other Federal program may be used for the non-Federal match if the project also is eligible under the other program. Recreational Trails Program funds may be used to match other Federal funds if the project also is eligible under the other program. States also may allow a programmatic match: if some project sponsors in a State provide more match funds than required, other sponsors in the State may provide less. Some in-kind materials and services may be credited toward the project match. States may allow some pre-approval planning and environmental assessment costs toward the project match. See http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/guidance/matchingfunds.cfm.

Fiscal year 2016: States will obligate approximately $75-$85 million for about 1,200 projects. RTP-funded projects provide accessibility improvements, access to health and fitness, active transportation for safe and livable communities, youth employment, economic stimulus, and habitat conservation. Examples of RTP-funded projects include trails, trail bridges, and trail facilities for uses including hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicle riding, four-wheel driving, or using other off-road motorized vehicles. States obligated $69 million for about 1,000 projects. RTP-funded projects provide accessibility improvements, access to health and fitness, active transportation for safe and livable communities, youth employment, economic stimulus, and habitat conservation. Examples of RTP-funded projects include trails, trail bridges, and trail facilities for uses including hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicle riding, four-wheel driving, or using other off-road motorized vehicles. See the Recreational...