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Local Motion urges Senate to preserve TAP priority for bike and pedestrian projects
Summary
Local Motion street specialist Marcy Gallagher told the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on April 14 that the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is the primary federal source for bike/ped infrastructure in Vermont and urged the committee to keep TAP’s preferential weighting for such projects, citing program mechanics, high cancellation rates for some mitigation projects and examples of walk/bike improvements in small towns.
Marcy Gallagher, a street specialist with Local Motion, told the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on April 14 that the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is the primary federal funding source for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in Vermont and urged the Senate to preserve the program’s preferential weighting for bike and pedestrian projects.
"Local Motion's mission is to make it safe, accessible, and fun to walk, bike, and roll in Vermont," Gallagher said, describing TAP-funded projects that include sidewalks, crosswalks, ADA upgrades and traffic-calming measures.
Gallagher summarized key TAP mechanics: Vermont's annual TAP apportionment is about $4.3 million; the program is typically 80% federal with a 20% local match; awards are competitive and the state must obligate funds within four years. She cited a VTrans presentation that the committee previously reviewed, noting an approximate 35% cancellation rate for TAP-funded environmental mitigation projects and saying that high cancellation rates put pressure on VTrans to obligate or reallocate funds quickly.
The witness described recent allocation history: in 2018–19 most TAP resources were used for environmental mitigation projects, the allocation swung toward bicycle and pedestrian projects from 2020–2023, and the Legislature moved to a 50/50 split in 2024. She said Transportation for Vermonters (a coalition that includes Local Motion) proposed an 80/20 split favoring bike/ped projects in the House, and the House also raised the maximum single-grant award for this year to roughly $1.22 million (with a return to a $600,000 maximum in future years). Gallagher said VTrans asked instead for full flexibility to allocate funds where needed, but Local Motion and Transportation for Vermonters continue to advocate keeping priority for bike/ped projects because those projects are the program’s core purpose.
Gallagher offered three small-town examples of this year’s TAP awards — projects in Swanton, Chester and Bethel — that include sidewalks, curb work and pedestrian lighting. She said those investments were not "nice to haves" but necessary in rural villages where many residents walk, bike or cannot drive.
Gallagher also cited safety data she said the committee had reviewed: "In 2025, 164 people were injured while walking and biking on Vermont roads and 10 people were killed," a stat she used to underscore urgency for greater active-transportation investment.
Committee members pressed Gallagher on complementary steps such as education and training. Gallagher said Local Motion runs the statewide BikeSmart program for schools and offers voluntary adult classes, but there is no mandate for adult training. She also responded that bicycles contribute little to road wear compared with motor vehicles and that TAP funds are a separate federal pot, not taken from highway-repair funds.
The committee paused further action on the TAP question pending Legislative Counsel testimony scheduled for the next hearing and additional VTrans input. The committee then proceeded to H.940, which the committee will continue to consider at subsequent meetings.
