RTP is funded with the 18 cents per gallon that is paid at the pump by vehicles that expend the fuel on a trail. I am not sure how the total is calced, but it is estimated that over $300 Million is collected. $85M or so is then spent on trails. By law, 30% of the total must be spent on motorized trails (because they pay 100% of the bill).
Your income taxes do not fund the RTP.
Your gas taxes that go into your car that you drive to the trail does not fund the RTP.
Snowmobiles, ATV, motocycles (off road) and (off road) Jeeps fund the RTP.
I agree our country has a bad deficit. But I don’t think the stripping of the these funds is going to lower the deficit. The $85M will be taken from the RTP and it will be spent on paved roads like the $215M in off road fuel taxes are now.
I’d say FATS will pay for itself. How? I now ride with a guy who I didn’t know 4 years ago. He didn’t ride before FATS, but he was fat! He told he lost 30 pounds and bought himself a MTB. Started going to FATS, and it changed his life. He is now 50, fit, and beats me back to the car most of time.
How much would he have cost medicare in the coming years had he not gotten fit? How much does it cost to treat one heart attack? Now think about the hundreds of people who share this story….just at FATS. Now think about the thousands around the country at other trails. I believe it is cheaper to build trails and have a fitter populace than building hospitals to care for unfit medicare patients.
Sure, you can say ……we’ll just defund RTP and the trail users will volunteer and donate to keep these trails alive and more being built. I have been on the front lines of trail construction since about 1996…..and that is nonsense. It won’t happen. But that is just my opinion.