Congress in late July passed a six-year $286

Congress in late July passed a six-year $286 billion transportation bill that includes approximately $52 billion for mass transit and $612 million for the Safe Routes to School program. Under the school program, state transportation departments will disburse grants that communities will use to build sidewalks, eliminate hazards, and slow traffic near primary and middle schools. A smaller new program, the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program, will give each of four communities $6.25 million annually for four years to develop comprehensive networks for walking and bicycling. The four demonstration communities are Columbia, Missouri; Marin County, California; Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Criticism has centered on members of Congress earmarking funds for specific projects in their districts rather than letting projects be decided according to how they fit into a rational transportation policy.