Just a couple of notes on this line
That explains the frequent criticism that the mayor has spent too much money on bike lanes and dog parks, and too little on affordable housing and jobs.
Much of the money DC spends on bike lanes comes from federal funds set aside for Transportation Enhancements, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Safe Routes to Schools, Recreational Trails etc... [Note: I'm not sure that bike lane funding has come from any/all of these programs specifically, I'm just giving examples]. So most of the time it isn't a choice between bike lanes and affordable housing. It's a choice between bike lanes and "Control and removal of outdoor advertising" or other allowed expenditures for federally defined programs.
Most of DDOT's budget comes from federal-aid programs. "In 2003, the District expended a total of about $242 million on its bridge and road infrastructure, of which almost $158 million were federal-aid expenditures." That's about 65%, and I'm not sure if it includes matching dollars. From conversations I've had with DDOT bike program staff, I would not be surprised if that percentage were not higher for bike program funding.
But, dog parks are a whole other issue.
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