AASHTO Journal - Maryland DOT Issues Active Transportation Grants

The Maryland Department of Transportation recently issued 26 grants totaling $8.2 million for 25 bicycle, pedestrian, and trail projects statewide.

[Above photo by David Trozzo for the Maryland DOT]

The agency said that funding will help state and local partners improve safety, enhance sustainability, and boost economic development.

Maryland DOT added that those fiscal year 2026 grants include more than $6.2 million in federal funding for 14 projects through the Transportation Alternatives Program and Recreational Trails Program and nearly $2 million in state funding for 12 projects through its Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program.

[Editor’s note: The Maryland DOT recently issued a new Statewide Transportation Trails Strategic Plan to help map out a “safe, accessible, and connected trail network” for communities across the state; a plan that reflects its “broader commitment” to safety, equity, and multimodal transportation.]

The agency said both its Transportation Alternatives Program and Recreational Trails Program are federally funded grant programs for community projects designed to support bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Maryland DOT further noted that the Transportation Alternatives Program and Recreational Trails Program are federally funded grant programs for community projects designed to support bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Similarly, the state-funded Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program – established in 2011 through the Maryland Transportation Trust Fund – focuses on local priorities for bicycle infrastructure improvements. In 2020, the Maryland General Assembly voted to rename the agency’s Bikeways Grant Program in Lamphier’s honor after the longtime bike advocate and conservationist passed away from cancer in 2019.

That program also recently expanded the eligibility for projects to include the maintenance of existing bicycle routes to keep them safe and functional and transforming busy intersections into Complete Streets that ensure the safety of all users, including people who walk and bike.

“The Maryland DOT is proud to continue investing and serving communities through these grant awards, which will expand the state’s safe and connected options for people to walk, bike and roll,” said Samantha Biddle, the agency’s acting secretary, in a statement.

“Creating safe and high-quality infrastructure will help students travel safely to and from school, better connect communities to opportunities and reduce Maryland’s carbon footprint,” she added.