Congress mandates 5% of public-lands funds for trails and sidewalks
H.R. 8514 — Active Transportation for Public Lands Act · Filed by Jared Huffman (D-CA) · Introduced Apr 27, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to set aside at least 5% of federal funding from two existing public-lands transportation programs (Federal Lands Transportation and Federal Lands Access) for active transportation projects—sidewalks, bike trails, pedestrian infrastructure, and safe routes for non-drivers on federal lands. The money comes from existing program budgets, not new appropriations.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a mandatory funding set-aside for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure on federal lands. It is a straightforward public-goods allocation with no private carve-outs or deregulatory intent.
What the text implies
- The 5% set-aside reduces funds available for other Federal Lands Transportation and Access program activities (vehicle roads, maintenance, etc.), potentially affecting rural access or vehicle-dependent communities on federal lands.
- The bill does not specify how the 5% is calculated or whether it applies to both programs equally, creating potential implementation ambiguity.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
construction and engineering firms specializing in pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure; landscape architecture and design consultants; trail maintenance contractors