TIGER grants for cyclists

Some TIGER projects will fund bicycle infrastructure.   (Credit: Lionshadow)

Only a small sliver of the funds that were part of the Recovery Act's Competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program went to funding bicycle infrastructure, and many deserving projects didn't make the cut. Still, for bicycle advocates DOT's announcement last week wasn't all bad news. Philadelphia and Indianapolis benefited the most, but a number of other projects will improve cycling infrastructure across the nation.  

Indianapolis, IN: Received $20,500,000 to complete an extensive bicycle and pedestrian network in the center of the city called the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. The completion of the trail, which will connect five key neighborhoods, will put Indianapolis in the top tier of bicycle-friendly downtowns in America. In some areas, city planners are taking a full lane and turning it over to pedestrians and cyclists. The Indianapolis Star has more. The video below is a good overview.  

Indianapolis Cultural Trail from Gail Payne on Vimeo.

Indianapolis Cultural Trail from Gail Payne on Vimeo.

Philadelphia, PA: Received $23,000,000 for a major overhaul of bike paths in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. Some of the area's poorest neighborhoods, including Southwest Philadelphia and Camden, will be linked to a 128-mile network of bicycle paths in the region. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Inquirer have more details. Below: An artist's representation of a proposed boardwalk that would be part of the Schuylkill Trail.

Revere, MA: Received $20,000,000 of TIGER funding that will go toward the creation of a multimodal transit facility and plaza on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The plan notes a number of areas for bike storage and a rental facility for bicycles, but I don't see much beyond that.  More details are available here. Below: A diagram showing the project's bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

Burlington, VT: Received $3,150,000 for a project that will rebuild a section of Lake Street. Reconfiguration of the road and bike path should reduce conflicts between bicyclists and motorists. A PowerPoint presentation detailing the plan is available here. An image from that PowerPoint is below:

 

Normal, IL: Received $22,000,000 to build a multimodal transportation center that's located near a heavily used leg of a 26-mile bicycle lane that connects to the town of Bloomington. The Pantagraph has more info on the project. Below: An illustration of the station from the application.  

Saint Paul, MN:  Received $35,000,000 for a multi-modal transportation hub at Union Depot that will accommodate bicyclists. Full details of the project are available here.  I wasn't able to find details on the bicycle features, but I did notice an animation showing the cyclist below inside the station with her bike. 

Ames, IA: Received 48,463,000 for an intermodal transportation facility that will cater to cyclists.  As part of the project, there will be an 800-foot shared use bicycle path that runs through the property and connects to nearby paths. The facility will have 60 bike lockers and two locker rooms for bicycle commuters.  More details of the plan are available here.  The diagram below shows the location of the proposed paths in the dotted white line.  

Milton, KY:  Received $20,000,000 to help rebuild the Milton-Madison bridge. The rebuilt bridge will contain a bicycle and pedestrian path. More on the project here. The animation below shows what the completed bridge will look like, though it unfortunately doesn't show the bicycle path. 

Kent, OH: Kent State University received $20,000,000 for a new bus transfer station that will include bike storage. Kent State has more details, including footage of a press conference with key planners. E-portage, as well as FOX, has more.

Seattle, WA: Received $30,000,000 to realign a major roadway, widen sidewalks in the area, and add bicycle lanes along key streets. The redesign will create urban boulevards that provide more space for cyclists. The sketch of the boulevards below comes from LMN Architects.

Denver, CO: Received $10,000,000 to upgrade the portion of U.S. 36 that runs from Denver to Boulder. One component of the project is a new 18-mile commuter bikeway that will run adjacent to the highway. The bikeway will be well integrated with buses and transit. More details on the project are available here.   

Tulsa, OK: Received $49,480,000 to build the city's first multimodal bridge as a replacement for the structurally deficient bridge that currently crosses the Arkansas River. The structure will accommodate highway, rail, pedestrians, and bicycle traffic. The full application is available here.  

Dubuque, IA: Received $5,600,000 to help complete the streets in the Millwork District.  More information here.