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Local Motion urges retaining house priority for bike/ped projects in TAP funding
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Summary
Local Motion testified that Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funds should retain preferential weighting for bike and pedestrian projects, citing higher predictability for those projects, a reported ~35% cancellation rate for some mitigation projects, and 2025 pedestrian/bicyclist injury and fatality statistics to argue for continued prioritization.
Marcy Gallagher, a Complete Streets specialist at Local Motion, told the Senate Transportation committee that the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) should continue to prioritize bike and pedestrian projects, as the House-passed language does, while still allowing flexibility for other eligible uses.
Gallagher said TAP is the federal government's primary funding source for bike/ped infrastructure, including Safe Routes to School, and argued that bike and pedestrian projects are more predictable to deliver than some environmental mitigation projects — she referenced a reported cancellation rate of about 35% for certain salt‑shed projects funded through TAP, which can pressure VTrans to obligate funds quickly to avoid losing federal dollars.
To underline the human cost, Gallagher cited state data in the record: "In 2025, 164 people who were walking and biking were injured in Vermont, and 10 people were killed," and said that the need for safe, accessible infrastructure exceeds the number of projects that TAP can fund. Local Motion urged the committee to keep preferential weighting for bike/ped projects in the TAP selection criteria so the program continues to prioritize safety and accessibility in rural towns and villages.
Committee staff said the Natural Resources Committee would weigh in the following morning and the Senate committee would consider that recommendation before finalizing language.
