Utah Advocates Raise Concerns Over Potential Cuts to Hiking, Biking Trail Funding

Proposed changes to federal transportation legislation could jeopardize state's plans to expand outdoor recreation infrastructure.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:03am

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A bold, colorful silkscreen print featuring a single bicycle icon repeated in a grid pattern, using a high-contrast, neon color palette to transform the everyday object into a modern pop art piece that captures the spirit of Utah's outdoor recreation economy.Vibrant pop art imagery celebrates Utah's ambitious plans to expand its network of bike trails and promote active transportation across the state.Moab Today

Utah advocates are voicing concerns over potential cuts to federal funding for hiking, biking, and walking trails across the state. Congress is considering updates to the Surface Transportation Act, and any reductions in funding could derail Utah's plans to add 1,000 miles of new bike trails and expand its statewide network of multi-use paths designed to connect neighborhoods.

Why it matters

Utah's outdoor recreation economy generates nearly $10 billion in annual economic impact and supports over 70,000 jobs. Robust hiking, biking, and walking infrastructure is seen as crucial to supporting this thriving industry, as well as improving pedestrian safety on roads where fatalities have reached a 40-year high nationwide.

The details

The timing of the potential federal funding cuts is particularly concerning for Utah, as the state's Republican governor recently instituted a plan to add 1,000 miles of new bike trails. The proposed changes to the Surface Transportation Act could make it much harder to implement this vision of expanded and connected trail networks across the state.

  • The current Biden-era federal transportation funding is set to expire in September 2026.
  • Utah's governor announced a plan to add 1,000 miles of new bike trails a couple of years ago.

The players

Mike Christensen

Executive director of the Utah Rail Passengers Association, an advocacy group for public transportation and active transportation infrastructure.

Utah's Governor

The Republican governor of Utah who instituted the plan to add 1,000 miles of new bike trails across the state.

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What they’re saying

“The timing is really bad. A couple of years ago, our governor instituted a plan to add 1,000 miles of bike trails through Utah. This is something that would make it a lot harder to implement that vision.”

— Mike Christensen, Executive Director, Utah Rail Passengers Association

What’s next

Congress is expected to vote on the updated Surface Transportation Act in the coming months, which will determine the future of federal funding for hiking, biking, and walking trails in Utah and across the country.

The takeaway

Utah's ambitious plans to expand its network of hiking, biking, and walking trails could be jeopardized by potential cuts to federal transportation funding, threatening the state's thriving outdoor recreation economy and raising concerns about pedestrian safety on roads.