TransAmerica Bike Path Put on Hold for Lack of Funding

JUNE 13, 2025 |

Photo – Map of TransAmerica Trail proposed route – Bigfoot99 file photo

The proposed 13-million-dollar bike path from Rawlins to Walcott Junction has stalled due to a lack of funding.

As reported by Bigfoot99, the Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting bicycle travel, is working to build a paved bicycle path from Oregon to Virginia, called the TransAmerica Trail. The Adventure Cycling Association prefers to have the trail run along existing two-lane roadways. However, here in Carbon County, the section of the trail between Rawlins and Walcott Junction will need to run parallel to Interstate 80, since no other route exists between the two points.

The solution: a $13.6 million 20-mile-long paved bike path to allow cyclists to avoid Interstate 80 on their way to and from Saratoga. The committee responsible for securing funding for the bike trail had planned to use the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program, or TAP, to fund the project.

Speaking at the June 3rd Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner John Espy said WYDOT has refused to provide TAP funding to the project. Commissioner Espy explained that the state funding requires year-round maintenance, even in winter when cyclists are unlikely to use the path.

Additionally, if the bicycle trail was paid for using WYDOT funding, it would need to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Commissioner Espy questioned how the path could remain clear when Interstate 80 frequently shuts down due to heavy snowfall.

The TransAmerica Trail was originally planned to follow WYDOT rights-of-way along I-80, eliminating the need for easements from private property owners. Commissioner Espy said the proposal was scrapped due to the requirement of a concrete barrier along the entire path. The trail committee now may negotiate with landowners to build it on private property.

Commissioner Espy said no one is sure who will maintain the trail once it is completed. The Commissioner proposed the Adventure Cycling Association fundraise the maintenance costs rather than placing the burden on the county.

The TransAmerica Trail was also discussed during the June 3rd Rawlins City Council Meeting. City Manager Tom Sarvey explained to the governing body if the bicycle path was funded using a WYDOT TAPS grant, it would need to be kept clear of snow at all times.

City Manager Tom Sarvey said WYDOT was unwilling to change the grant requirements for the bike trail.

Like Commissioner Espy, City Manager Sarvey said the TransAmerica Trail committee is unsure who will maintain the bicycle path if it is built.

Work on the TransAmerica Trail bike path has been put on hold while the Adventure Cycling Association attempts to secure alternative funding and procure easements from landowners along Interstate 80.