Texas DOT denies $1.6 million for El Paso bicycle-sharing program [View all]

(El Paso Times) The Texas Department of Transportation slammed the brakes on a bicycle-sharing program for Downtown and Central El Paso by denying $1.6 million in federal funding, at least for now.

During its monthly board meeting on Wednesday, the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority was prepared to move forward with the BikeShare Program, which the City of El Paso and the University of Texas at El Paso had already approved partial funding for. But the plans changed when Raymond Telles, the authority's executive director, said Mark Williams, TxDOT's director of planning, told him earlier this week that TxDOT was not in agreement with the use of the $1.6 million.

The money was going to come from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program and the Surface Transportation Planning/Metropolitan Mobility program run by TxDOT.

"As far as I've been told the decision is final," Telles said. .........................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23860793/txdot-denies-funding-el-paso-bicycle-sharing-program