I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3566 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a program to make 
grants for the improvement or construction of regionally or nationally 
significant greenway paths, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 28, 2021 
Ms. BOURDEAUX (for herself, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, 
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. 
JOHNSON of Georgia, and Mrs. TORRES of California) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a 
program to make grants for the improvement or con-
struction of regionally or nationally significant greenway 
paths, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National and Regional 
Greenways Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL GREENWAYS PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
program to make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
organizations to improve or construct safe and connected 
greenway paths between communities that are designated 
as regionally or nationally significant by the Secretary 
under subsection (b). 
(b) REGIONALLY
OR
NATIONALLY
SIGNIFICANT 
GREENWAY PATHS.—In carrying out the program under 
this section, the Secretary shall establish a national green-
way paths network. The national greenway paths network 
shall contain regionally or nationally significant greenway 
paths designated by the Secretary that— 
(1) cross multiple local jurisdictions or State 
lines; 
(2) reduce congestion and single-occupant vehi-
cle trips, improve safety and access to jobs, and 
lower emissions for criteria pollutants (NOx, VOC, 
PM) and greenhouse gases; 
(3) support community goals and objectives in 
areas covered by metropolitan planning organiza-
tions; or 
(4) meet any other criteria the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate. 
(c) APPLICATION.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant under 
this section, an eligible organization shall submit to 
the Secretary an application in such manner and 
containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. 
(2) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS PARTIALLY ON FED-
ERAL LAND.—With respect to an application for eli-
gible greenway projects that are located in part on 
Federal lands, an eligible organization shall enter 
into a cooperative agreement with the appropriate 
Federal agency with jurisdiction over such land to be 
eligible for a grant under this section. 
(d) APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS.—In making a 
grant for construction of a greenway path under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall consider the following: 
(1) Whether the proposed eligible greenway 
project is likely to provide substantial additional op-
portunities for walking and bicycling, including by— 
(A) creating greenway paths connecting 
multiple communities, counties, metropolitan re-
gions, or States; 
(B) integrating greenway paths with tran-
sit services, where available, to improve access 
to public transportation; and 
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(C) integrating greenway paths with exist-
ing parks, recreation or scenic areas, adjacent 
waterways, or transportation corridors. 
(2) Whether the eligible organization proposing 
a project demonstrates broad community support 
through— 
(A) prior public input in the development 
of a plan for the proposed project; and 
(B) the commitment of any project spon-
sors and community leaders, including elected 
officials in the jurisdiction in which such project 
is located, partner organization leaders, and 
private or nongovernmental organizations in the 
area in which such project is located, to the 
success and timely implementation of an eligible 
greenway project. 
(3) The extent to which the eligible organiza-
tion provides evidence of commitment to traffic safe-
ty, regulations, financial incentives, or community 
design policies that facilitate significant increases in 
walking and bicycling. 
(4) The extent to which the eligible organiza-
tion demonstrates commitment of State, local, or eli-
gible Federal matching funds, and land or in-kind 
contributions, in addition to the local match required 
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under subsection (g)(1), unless the applicant quali-
fies for an exception under subsection (g)(2). 
(5) The extent to which the eligible organiza-
tion demonstrates that the grant will address exist-
ing disparities in bicyclist and pedestrian fatality 
rates based on race or income level or provide access 
to schools, jobs, services, transit, or recreational op-
portunities for low-income communities and commu-
nities of color. 
(6) Whether the eligible organization dem-
onstrates how investment in active transportation 
will advance safety for pedestrians and cyclists, ac-
cessibility to schools, jobs and transit, accessibility 
to national, State, or local parks, economic competi-
tiveness, environmental protection, and quality of 
life. 
(e) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) PLANNING AND DESIGN GRANTS.—Each fis-
cal year, the Secretary shall set aside not less than 
$3,000,000 from the funds made available to carry 
out this section to provide planning grants for eligi-
ble organizations to develop a local or regional 
greenways and paths plan. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Each fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall set aside not more than 
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$2,000,000 of the funds made available to carry out 
this section to cover the costs of administration, re-
search, technical assistance, communications, and 
training activities under the program. 
(f) GRANT TIMING.— 
(1) REQUEST
FOR
APPLICATION.—Not later 
than 30 days after funds are made available to carry 
out this section, the Secretary shall publish in the 
Federal Register a request for applications for 
grants under this section. 
(2) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—Not 
later than 150 days after funds are made available 
to carry out this section, the Secretary shall select 
grant recipients for grants under this section. 
(g) FEDERAL SHARE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Federal share of the cost of a project 
under this section shall not exceed 80 percent of the 
total project cost. 
(2) EXCEPTIONS.— 
(A) DISADVANTAGE
COMMUNITIES.—For 
projects serving communities with a poverty 
rate of over 40 percent based on the majority 
of census tracts served by such project, the Sec-
retary may increase the Federal share of the 
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cost of a project under this section to 100 per-
cent of the total project cost. 
(B) RURAL AREAS.—For projects serving 
rural areas, as such term is defined in section 
101 of title 23, United States Code, the Federal 
share of the cost of a project under this section 
shall be 90 percent of the total project cost. 
(h) REPORTS.— 
(1) INTERIM
REPORT.—Not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2023, the Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a report containing the information described 
in paragraph (3). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than September 
30, 2025, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report containing the information described in para-
graph (3). 
(3) REPORT
INFORMATION.—A report sub-
mitted under this subsection shall contain the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A list of grants made under this sec-
tion. 
(B) Best practices of recipients in imple-
menting projects funded under this section. 
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(C) Impediments experienced by recipients 
of grants under this section in planning for and 
delivering projects under this section. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust 
Fund 
(other 
than 
the 
Mass 
Transit 
Account) 
$250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 
to carry out this section. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.—The term ‘‘ac-
tive transportation’’ means alternative methods of 
transportation to motor vehicles, including walking, 
bicyling, or utilizing assistive mobility or micro mo-
bility devices. 
(2) GREENWAY
PATH.—The term ‘‘greenway 
path’’ means a hard-surfaced or wheelchair-acces-
sible facility built for active transportation, including 
a sidewalk, bikeway, or pedestrian path that con-
nects communities, cities, counties, metropolitan re-
gions, or States. 
(3) 
COMMUNITY.—The 
term 
‘‘community’’ 
means a geographic area that is socioeconomically 
interdependent and may include rural, suburban, 
and urban jurisdictions. 
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(4) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘eligi-
ble organization’’ means— 
(A) a local or regional governmental orga-
nization, including a metropolitan planning or-
ganization or regional planning organization or 
council; 
(B) a multi-county special district; 
(C) a State; 
(D) a multi-State group of governments; 
and 
(E) an Indian Tribe. 
(5) ELIGIBLE GREENWAY PROJECT.—The term 
‘‘eligible greenway project’’ means an active trans-
portation project, or group of projects— 
(A) that is designated as a regionally or 
nationally significant greenway path under sub-
section (b); 
(B) within or between a community or 
group of communities, at least one of which 
falls within the jurisdiction of an eligible orga-
nization, which has submitted an application 
under this section; 
(C) that has— 
(i) a total cost of not less than 
$15,000,000; or 
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(ii) with respect to planning and de-
sign grants, planning and design costs of 
not less than $100,000; 
(D) that construct path segments that 
close local or regional network gaps or are lo-
cated within underserved areas; 
(E) that support an accessible public 
realm, connect to public transportation, support 
opportunities for economic development, or pro-
mote health and safety; and 
(F) that connect communities to public 
spaces 
and 
parks, 
enhance 
ecological 
connectivity, support land conservation and ac-
cess, or support sites for remediation and res-
toration. 
(6) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4(e) of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)). 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
(8) TOTAL PROJECT COST.—The term ‘‘total 
project cost’’ means the sum total of all costs in-
curred in the development of a project that are ap-
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proved by the Secretary as reasonable and nec-
essary, including— 
(A) the cost of acquiring real property; 
(B) the cost of site preparation, demoli-
tion, and development; 
(C) expenses related to the issuance of 
bonds or notes; 
(D) fees in connection with the planning, 
execution, and financing of the project; 
(E) the cost of studies, surveys, plans, per-
mits, insurance, interest, financing, tax, and as-
sessment costs; 
(F) the cost of construction, rehabilitation, 
reconstruction, and equipping the project; 
(G) the cost of land improvements; 
(H) contractor fees; 
(I) the cost of training and education re-
lated to the safety of users of any greenway 
path constructed as part of an eligible greenway 
project; and 
(J) any other cost that the Secretary de-
termines is necessary and reasonable. 
Æ 
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