Federal dollars shouldn’t be used for bike trails in the first place

As the media is reporting the Trump Administration has “clawed back” $11.5 million from the controversial 7-mile long bike trail near downtown Albuquerque. The trail has been a top priority of the Keller Administration and the Mayor has already pledged to sue for restoration of the funding. According to the City the trail was expected to cost between $60 and $90 million once complete.

The City has numerous serious problems including a lack of police and surfeit of homeless.

Also according to the City the Rail Trail has secured $39.5M in funding, some of which is set aside for certain sections of the trail:

• $14.4M must be used on Downtown section between Rail Yards (Hazeldine) and Lomas
  • $11.5M (80%) in USDOT Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant (this is the canceled money)
  • $2.9M (20%) in local match from the City
• $12.1M in City Council funds for any segment
• $10M grant awarded by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
• $3M must be used on Wells Park section between Lomas and Constitution
  • Federal Earmark from Senator Ben Ray Lujan and Senator Martin Heinrich

We are not fans of the rail trail, but if it is to be completed it should come from state and local money. Really, it SHOULD be local $$. One of the biggest problems in government these days is that nobody “stays in their lane.” This project is explicitly of local benefit and should be funded locally. Projects with statewide benefit should be funded through the capital outlay process. The feds should ideally get out of road maintenance (as opposed to construction and coordination of roads between states), transit, and bike trail funding as a rule.

Perhaps the Mayor will find a judge that is willing to force restoration of these funds, but maybe not. On the merits Trump has every right to reallocate the money to other projects that actually have a connection to interstate commerce.