TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT GRANT AWARDS. KDOT recently awarded $2,001,364 in FY 2009-2010 federal transportation enhancement grants for pedestrian/bicycle projects:
| Lawrence Shawnee Topeka Derby Dodge City Olathe Mulvane |
Abandoned BNSF RR Ped/Bike Trail Ped/Bike Path Construction Landon Trail Extension Ped/Bike Path Construction Ped/Bike Path Construction Bike Lane Construction Ped/Bike Path Construction |
$500,000 $700,000 $140,800 $86,317 $298,304 $200,000 $75,943 |
Only seven out of 31 pedestrian/bicycle project applications were approved. The TE grant awards for all three categories (Historic; Scenic/Environmental and Pedestrian/Bicycle) totaled $5,288,415, which is down substantially from $9.73 million two years ago. This means that only about $1 million is now being spent annually on recreational path/bikeway projects in Kansas.
The Bush Administration rescinded some of the TE funds in March, but it is also unclear if KDOT is allocating all of the TE funds it receives from the US Department of Transportation. Plus there are some questionable grant awards: $887,832 for restoring a bus depot in Eureka, Kansas and $500,000 for an I-70 beautification project in Topeka. Due to these cutbacks, there won't be any more grant awards until 2010. Unless action is taken by trails advocates at the state and federal levels, this funding source may dry up completely.
TOPEKA RECEIVES TE GRANT TO EXTEND LANDON TRAIL. The City of Topeka has received a $140,800 federal TE grant to extend the Landon Nature Trail south from SE 25th St. Construction on the 10-foot-wide concrete path is already nearing completion from the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site trailhead at 15th St to the SE 25th St. crossing. The grant will allow the recreational pathway to be extended, possibly to 37th Street. Once the trail is completed to the city limits (Sanneman Drive), trail users will be able to travel to the Clinton Wildlife Area as the crushed limestone pathway from the city limits to the wildlife area is just about completed.