Economic development, Local Transportation Enhancement Program

Congress created the Transportation Enhancements (TE) Program in 1991 to address growing concerns about air quality, open space, and traffic congestion. This program is the first Federal initiative to focus on enhancing the travel experience and fostering the quality of life in American communities.

The TE program fosters more choices for travel by providing funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, and the conversion of abandoned railroad corridors into trails. Communities may also use the program to revitalize local and regional economies by restoring eligible historic buildings, renovating streetscapes, or providing transportation museums and visitor centers. Many communities use the program to acquire, restore and preserve scenic or historic sites.

WisDOT administers the local Transportation Enhancements Program to fund multi-modal transportation alternatives and projects that enhance communities and the environment. Currently $6.25 million is available in annual funding. Federal funds administered through this program provide up to 80% of costs for a wide variety of projects such as bicycle or pedestrian facilities, landscaping or streetscaping and the preservation of historic transportation structures.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program (BPFP) was revived in year 2 of the 2007-09 state budget and first available in conjunction with the 2008 Transportation Enhancements (TE) program. The $2.72 million in annual federal BPFP funding is available exclusively to construct or plan for bicycle or bicycle/pedestrian facility projects. The statutory language specifically excludes pedestrian-only facilities, such as sidewalks, and streetscaping type projects. In the 2009-11 biennial budget the program was expanded to include an additional $2.5 million per year in state funding.

TE and local economic development

The TE program offers a number of development benefits:

Enhancement projects such as streetscaping or historic preservation help with local community revitalization and promote the economic development of downtown retail and civic districts.
Projects such as the rehabilitation of former rail depots and train stations transform them into bus transfer centers, museums, restaurants and community centers.
Projects along state highways or in rural areas enhance the scenic beauty of Wisconsin and encourage tourism.
Development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities provides a popular recreational activity for residents and tourists.

For more information, including application information, see WisDOT's Local Transportation Enhancements Program Web page, or contact Tressie Kamp at (608) 266-3973.

Manitowoc-Two Rivers Bike Trail

Additional information about the Local Transportation Enhancements Program