The State of North Carolina - Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding Limitation

 

Did you know that the State of North Carolina does not fund stand alone projects for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure? 

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The State of North Carolina implemented the Strategic Transportation Investment (STI) law in 2013, which restricts state funding by transportation mode. Bicycle and Pedestrian projects (sidewalks, bike paths, multi-use paths, and trails) are ineligible to receive state funding on their own. In the 2023 North Carolina General Assembly Session, House Bill 360 seeks to change this. 

 

In 2022, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) implemented a new Complete Streets Policy, which requires new projects on state roads to be evaluated for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This work will typically only be completed on a state road if the road is being widened unless Municipal Planning Organization (MPO) funding such as such as Surface Transportation Block Grant Program – Direct Allocation (STBGP-DA), Congestion Mitigation for Air Quality (CMAQ) or other federally allocated grant is used for the project. 

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Bicycle and Pedestrian safety trends in North Carolina indicate that deaths and injuries are rising, and are occurring on roads where people are trying to cross at mid-block areas where there is no signalization for bicycles and pedestrians; projects that are typically ineligible to be prioritized for state transportation investment (see slides 4-10 of NCDOT's Integrated Mobility Division (IMD) Multimodal Update Webinar in Q1 of 2023). 

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There are 263 trail projects in 52 counties across North Carolina that are investment -ready. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Great State Trails Plan identifies future projects in all 100 North Carolina counites, and the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) housed at NC State indicates that for every $1 of trail construction supports $1.72 annually from local business revenue, sales tax revenue, and benefits to health and transportation. More graphics and summaries on the research can be found here. 

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Given rising injury, economic revenue and health benefits, passing and supporting House Bill 360 is critical to making it easier for our road's most vulnerable users to walk, bike, and roll. 

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