Last night the Royal Oak City Commission approved a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals which would include a non-motorized transportation master plan. That plan’s creation would eventually be funded through the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant (EECBG) program — part of the economic stimulus package.

The City of Royal Oak is interested in receiving proposals for technical consultant services to assist the city to develop and/or implement a strategy for… the development of a non-motorized transportation plan to site and install infrastructure such as bicycle routes, lanes, pathways, and signed shared roadways, as well as sidewalks and pedestrian walkways.

UPDATE: “The submission deadline for proposals is Wednesday, June 24, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. For more information, contact Doug Hedges or Joseph Murphy at (248) 246-3280.”?The proposal deadline is June 12th and the city expects to select the winning proposal(s) by sometime around June 25th.

This is a critical first step to improving the quality of travel for those who are providing their own motor.

And it’s great news for anyone who bikes, walks, or runs in Royal Oak.

Link: Royal Oak Request for Proposals

The excuse of not having money to make your community more bike friendly just got a whole lot weaker thanks to Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG).

This funding is another a portion of the overall economic stimulus package and it can fund bicycling planning, construction, and programming:

Entities may develop and implement programs to conserve energy used in transportation, including but not limited to:

• Development of infrastructure such as bike lanes and pathways and pedestrian walkways;
• State/locals/regional integrated planning activities (i.e. transportation, housing, environmental, energy,land use) with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled;
• Incentive programs to reduce commutes by single occupancy vehicles;

Nearly $58 million will go to Michigan cities, townships, and counties that already receive block grant funding (see list below.) A minimum of just over $11 million will be awarded competitively among Michigan’s other communities.

The application deadline is June 25th, 2009. Any awarded funds must be obligated within 18 months.

Royal Oak, Novi and Detroit

Both of these cities are applying for EECBG funding to develop non-motorized transportation master plans. These plans would help both cities develop a strategy for making their cities more walkable and bikeable. (Troy is current going through this plannng.)

Detroit already has a non-motorized transportation plan, so we will be encouraging them so spend a portion of this funding on implementing the plan.

What Can You Do?

We are encouraging all cyclists to contact their local government and ask that they apply for EECBG funding to make their community more bike friendly.

If your city doesn’t have a non-motorized transportation plan (and nearly all don’t in Metro Detroit), EECBG funding can pay for one. This is a good starting point for cities looking to become more bike friendly. For cities like Royal Oak and Novi, these plans costs between $40K and $50K

As mentioned, some cities are automatically eligible for a specific amount of funding. Here’s a listing for eligible cities in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne County. For a complete listing, visit Michigan’s Recovery web site.

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At Monday’s City Commission meeting, our Bicycle Task Force recommended the City allocate $40K to hire a firm to develop a non-motorized transportation master plan for the city.

Interim city manager Don Johnson has budgeted that expenditure using stimulus funding from Energy Block Grants. The city has received $543,400 in such funding.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the purpose of these block grants are to:

• reduce fossil fuel emissions in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and, to the maximum extent practicable, maximizes benefits for local and regional communities;
• reduce the total energy use of the eligible entities; and
• improve energy efficiency in the building sector, the transportation sector, and other appropriate sectors.

The DOE notes the following activities are eligible for funding:

• Development of infrastructure such as bike lanes and pathways and pedestrian walkways;
• State/locals/regional integrated planning activities (i.e. transportation, housing, environmental, energy, land use) with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled;

So, it’s clearly appropriate for Royal Oak to allocate a portion of these funds to plan for improved biking and walking within the city.

Thanks to the City Commission and staff for allowing this to move forward.

Also, during Monday’s meeting Commissioner Carlo Ginotti moved that this project continue to move forward. It was passed unanimously.