Companion Guide to Video August 2012

www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials

Local public agencies, or LPAs, have a growing 

need and responsibility to the people in their 

communities to provide more options for the 

opportunity to safely walk or bike. Among the 

benefits of walking or bicycling—whether for 

utilitarian or recreational purposes—are 

improved environmental and personal health, 

reduced traffic congestion, enhanced quality of 

life and others.

The Federal Highway 

Administration, or FHWA, 

encourages all agencies to 

provide safe and convenient 

bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

There is a great deal of flexibility in allowing you 

to use Federal-aid funds for constructing these 

facilities. Let’s take a closer look at the bike and 

pedestrian related Federal requirements to 

make it easier for you to use these funds. 

Generally speaking, these requirements apply to 

and impact three main areas:

• The planning process

• Requirements associated with the type of 

Federal-aid funds used

• The development and construction of 

Federal-aid projects

In urbanized areas of 50,000 or greater, 

metropolitan planning organizations, or MPOs, 

manage transportation planning activities. 

MPOs are required to publish reports each year 

on the previous year’s progress of bicycle and 

pedestrian-related programs to the public. 

Agencies responsible for transportation planning 

activities must ensure consideration is given to 

integrating safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities 

projects into the transportation system. You 

accomplish this by providing users of pedestrian 

and bicycle facilities the opportunity to 

participate in the planning process. 

If you want to use Federal-aid to construct 

bicycle or pedestrian improvements, several 

types of funds are available, each having 

specific requirements that apply. For instance, 

you could use one of FHWA’s core funding 

programs, called the Highway Safety 

Improvement Program or HSIP funds. HSIP 

funds are eligible to fund the construction of 

pedestrian or bicycle facilities, but only if these 

facilities demonstrate the potential for safety 

improvement. 

Other funding programs, such as the Congestion 

Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program 

or CMAQ, can be used for bike and pedestrian 

facilities If the project provides improvements to 

air quality among other criteria. You can choose 

from several eligible Federal funding programs 

for constructing bicycle or pedestrian 

Project Development

Design

Bike and Pedestrian Accommodation

Federal-aid funds can be used to construct safe, convenient 

and accessible walking and bicycling facilities
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

improvements, provided you meet the specific 

requirements for use. Your State department of 

transportation (State DOT) or local MPO can 

help you learn more about these and other 

funding programs and their associated 

requirements.

You are required to design and construct any 

Federal-aid project in accordance with the 

Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, and 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The ADA 

and Section 504 standards apply to the design 

and construction details for sidewalks, 

crosswalks, curb ramps and detectable warnings 

on any new or altered facilities. In some cases, 

you may be required to install and maintain 

audible traffic signals and audible signs at street 

crossings for the safety and benefit of the 

visually impaired.

While the ADA and Section 504 establish 

accessible design and construction 

requirements for projects, additional design 

guidance exists that should be used for the 

development of other aspects of your projects. 

Two documents published by the American 

Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials, or AASHTO, should be 

used for the design of bicycle or pedestrian 

facilities on Federal-aid projects -- unless your 

State has an equivalent document or guide. 

The titles of these AASHTO documents are:

• The AASHTO Guide for the Development of 

Bicycle Facilities

• The AASHTO Guide for the Planning, 

Design and Operation of Pedestrian 

Facilities

You must apply bicycle and pedestrian 

accommodation requirements that depend on 

the project type and scope of work, during the 

planning, environment and design phases of 

your project’s development. For example, you 

must consider incorporating bicycle or 

pedestrian transportation facilities into all new 

construction or reconstruction projects. 

On all types of Federal-aid projects, you must 

consider how your project will affect existing bike 

and pedestrian routes. This helps you and your 

project avoid having a significant adverse safety 

impact on non-motorists. In most cases, you 

won’t be permitted to sever an existing major 

route without a reasonable alternative route 

either existing or being provided.

You may be required to install bike 

accommodations on Federal-aid bridge 

replacement or rehabilitation projects where 

bicycles are permitted to use the road at both 

ends of the bridge. While this requirement 

doesn’t specifically mention pedestrians, 

agencies are encouraged to also incorporate 

sidewalks with the project, providing a safer path 

for pedestrians to use.

During construction of a Federal-aid project, 

pedestrian access should not be reduced unless 

equivalent access exists. For example, let’s say 

you have a reconstruction project work zone that 

closes an existing pedestrian facility. In this case 

you have a responsibility to provide and 

maintain an alternative facility, and it must be 

accessible for people with disabilities. An 

exception can be made if you are temporarily 

closing a pedestrian facility during a 

maintenance project that is of short duration.You 

should contact your State DOT for assistance 

anytime your project may temporarily close 

pedestrian facilities.

Providing bike and pedestrian 

facilities will allow people of all 

ages and abilities to walk or ride 

more often, to more places, and 

be safer while doing so.

As you plan, design and construct your Federalaid projects, consider how you can 

accommodate walking and bicycling to create a 

low-cost transportation choice for all citizens, 

regardless of age or ability. 
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

Your commitment to investing in bicycle and 

pedestrian facilities helps meet goals for:

• Cleaner, healthier air 

• Less congested roadways 

• Safer, cost-efficient communities.

If you have questions about bicycle or 

pedestrian requirements for Federal-aid 

projects, contact your State DOT for help.
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

The content of this 

document is not a 

substitute for 

information obtained 

from State departments 

of transportation, 

appropriate FHWA 

Division Offices, and 

applicable laws. 

Scenarios have been 

simplified for emphasis 

and do not necessarily 

reflect the actual range of 

requirements applicable 

to the scenario or this 

topic. This document

was created under 

contract number

DTFH63-12-F-00025 by 

the Federal Highway 

Administration, U.S. 

Department of 

Transportation, and is 

offered to the public to 

heighten and focus 

awareness of Federal-aid 

requirements within the 

local public agencies 

community and 

reinforces the 

importance of these 

necessary policies, 

procedures, and 

practices.

This companion resource 

is the script content for 

the video production of 

the same name. 

Additional Resources

• Information on bike and pedestrian-related topics

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/

• Information on planning, design, operations and safety of bike and 

pedestrian facilities

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/

• Federal regulations on bicycle and pedestrian accommodation

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi/t/text/textidx?c=ecfr&sid=34ef730f21ebfc5a205093db12962891&rgn=div5&view=text

&node=23:1.0.1.7.29&idno=23