ACTION PLAN
Funding can be divided into four categories: local/ regional, state, federal, and private funding. Hills- borough County should explore a variety of sources in order to take maximum advantage of funding opportunities. Local/Regional Funding. Hillsborough County does not have a dedicated budget line item for greenway and trail construction that is available annually to a known (minimum) amount. Depend- ing on the scale and magnitude of the project, dif- ferent departments may be involved in the project and its implementation. Uncertain financial environments make program- ming projects more challenging at the local level. Local funds play an important role in providing a match for grants. Locally - driven sources could in- clude benefit assessment districts, various bonding instruments, or work with private developers to either require or cost share in various improve- ments including right - of - way dedication and con- struction costs. State and Federal Funding Options. The amount of state funds available to local governments for greenway improvements has generally shrunk in real dollar terms due to stagnant gas tax percent- ages and inflation. However in April 2023, the Flor- ida Legislature passed a new bill to expand access to Florida ’ s Wildlife Corridor and includes a one - time allocation of $200 million to fund the design, planning, and construction of trails connecting the Wildlife Corridor to the Florida Greenways and Trails System and the SUN Trail Network ( Figure 16 ). The bill also increases the annual allocation from $25 million to $50 million to continue fund- ing the maintenance and construction of SUN Trail connectors and shared - use nonmotorized trails. The Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL) has provisions for greenway and trail funding through its Transportation Alternatives Set - Aside program. It includes new funding to expand and connect safe bike infrastructure in communities, from programs designed to create complete active transportation networks to building climate resili- ent infrastructure and reconnecting communities. Grants and Non - Profit Sources. Many grants from non - profit sources are used to protect prop- erty or stream buffers for environmental preserva-
tion purposes, but greenway and trail facilities are often still viable components of grant - related pro- jects. Coordinating volunteer and non - profit groups, perhaps to help maintain and even con- struct unpaved greenways, should not be over- looked as an increasingly important role for organ- izations. Figure 17 through Figure 20 on pages 49 through 52 describe in more detail the specific financing sources that are the most likely to yield positive results for Hillsborough County. This is not exhaus- tive, and the availability and rules of some sources are changing on a near - constant basis.
Figure 16. SUN Trail facilities in Hillsborough County
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GREENWAYS AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN
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