HANOVER, MD (September 10, 2025) – The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) today announced the award of 26 grants totaling $8.2 million for 25 bicycle, pedestrian and trail projects across the state. These investments will help state and local partners improve safety, enhance sustainability and boost economic development. The funding reflects MDOT’s commitment to creating a more connected and accessible transportation system for all Marylanders.
The 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 the Department’s Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program.
"The Maryland Department of Transportation 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 Maryland Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle. “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.”
The Transportation Alternatives Program and Recreational Trails Program are federally funded grant programs for community projects designed to support bike and pedestrian infrastructure. The Maryland State Highway Administration solicited applications for both programs and worked with regional committees and Metropolitan Planning Organizations to review and select projects. This year's awards include:
- $450,000 through the Recreational Trails Program to four projects:
- Trail improvements in State forests across Maryland;
- Reconfiguring the Camp Loop Trail in Greenbrier State Park in Washington County;
- A mobility beach mat in Kent County;
- A mountain bike trail in Garrett County.
- $5.8 million through the Transportation Alternatives Program to 10 projects, including:
- Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator projects in Anne Arundel, Howard, and Prince George’s Counties;
- Repair and rehabilitation project for a 20-mile stretch of the C&O Canal towpath in Washington County; and
- Improvements along Meadow Mountain Trail in Garrett County.
New this year, the Maryland Department of Transportation's
Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program expanded the eligibility for projects to include the maintenance of existing bicycle routes to keep them safe and functional and transforming high-crossing intersections into
Complete Streets that ensure the safety of all users, including people who walk and bike. This year's grants totaling $1.9 million include:
- Ten design projects in the cities of Baltimore, Cheverly, Frederick, Laurel, Mount Airy and Takoma Park and Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties; the projects support active transportation access to a variety of destinations including parks, schools, trails, and commercial districts;
- Two minor retrofit projects in Hyattsville and Easton; the projects will expand bike parking and improve safety with low-cost enhancements; and
- Federal funding match for design projects in Harford, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties and in the town of Mount Airy. In Southern Maryland, the funding will match a federal Safe Streets For All grant and develop preliminary design for low-stress bicycle facilities across three counties.
These grant awards support the Department’s
Serious About Safety initiative, an agency-wide effort focused on advocacy, education, project development and implementation to enhance safety and save lives on Maryland’s transportation system.
A complete list of grant-funded projects for each program is available on each program's website: