Webinar – Overcoming Barriers: Innovative Practices to Securing Federal Funding
Join the TrailNation Collaborative, powered by Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC), for an interactive discussion exploring barriers to accessing federal funding for trail and active transportation networks. Participants heard how others in the trails movement have found solutions to common challenges and had a chance to engage directly with their peers through breakouts on barriers and strategies to make the most of current federal funding opportunities.
During this highly interactive 60-minute session, participants heard from Kevin Mills, RTC’s vice president of policy and Gary Toth, former Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives for the Project for Public Spaces, as they delved into the various ways grant applicants can overcome barriers ranging from finding local matching funds to meeting environmental and labor requirements.
This dialogue featured brief presentations and case studies on the subject matter at hand, and was followed by guided discussions to brainstorm ideas, best practices and solutions.
Speakers
- Gary Toth, Principal Gary Toth Consulting and former Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives at the Project for Public Spaces
- Kevin Mills, Vice President of Policy, RTC
- Mary Ellen Koontz, TrailNation Collaborative Lead, RTC (moderator)
Resources
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning, Program, and Project Development Guidance: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/guidance/guidance_2023.pdf#page=25
- Categorical Exclusion citation: 23 CFR 771.117(c)(3). CFR stands for the “code of federal regulations.”
- Check out USDOT’s Technical Assistance resources: https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/equity/justice40/technical-assistance
- Understand match requirements: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/dot-navigator/understanding-non-federal-match-requirements
- Check out this map of rural areas covered by Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPO): https://ruraltransportation.org/about-rtpos/rtpo-states/
- USDOT Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/small_towns/page00.cfm
- NACTO Urban Street Design Guide: https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/
- Check out these tips for working with public agencies, including state departments of transportation: https://www.railstotrails.org/trail-building-toolbox/building-relationships-with-public-agencies-and-officials/
- Read more about working with Regional Planning Organizations: https://www.railstotrails.org/trail-building-toolbox/working-with-mpos/
- If you need help identifying available funding, check out the DOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/dashboard
- Learn more about the TrailNation Collaborative: https://www.railstotrails.org/our-work/trailnation/collaborative/
- Learn strategies, including investment strategies, for building trail networks in the Trail Nation Playbook: https://www.railstotrails.org/trailnation/playbook/
- Watch our recent dialogue on eligibility of federal dollars for trail maintenance? https://www.railstotrails.org/resource-library/resources/webinar-trail-funding-unpacked-navigating-resources-for-sustainable-maintenance/
- RTC’s TrailNation Collaborative, Trail Development and Policy teams produce a free webinar series designed to help trail professionals build, grow, manage, maintain, promote or otherwise support trails and trail networks. Sign up here to get webinar alerts.
- Have a comment or question on our webinar series? Contact us below with topic or speaker ideas. We appreciate your feedback! Email us.
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