Beyond the monies from these on-going NC grant programs, haven’t some counties received Federal funding through transportation earmarks and more recently under stimulus programs?
Yes, several NC rail-trails have received Federal money to support planning and construction activities. Since 1999 the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) has received Federal funds which supported major portions of the construction in all three counties. Much of this was provided under various “earmark” items where particular projects were identified in appropriations for Federal transportation funds provided to States. Such funds were provided under provisions allowing support of non-highway projects. Typically these “earmarks” provided a large portion of the project’s needs but did require at least 20% of the project’s budget to be supplied by the county. In early 2009, Gastonia’s Highland Rail-Trail was awarded $850,000 in Federal Stimulus funding to extend the trail through the downtown along street corridors. It is not clear whether either of these funding sources will be a predictable source for rail-trail development in the future.
Related Questions
- Beyond the monies from these on-going NC grant programs, haven’t some counties received Federal funding through transportation earmarks and more recently under stimulus programs?
- Can we use gas tax funds for projects receiving funding from other federal infrastructure programs?
- What types of federal infrastructure funding programs exist?
