BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Applications open next week for $80 million in federal grants to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety across Pennsylvania.
This year’s Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside, or TASA, of the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Block Grant Program will begin accepting applications on July 14, state Transportation Department officials announced last week.
“Pennsylvanians make decisions about how they travel for many reasons, the most critical of which is the infrastructure available to them."PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll
The program provides funding “to construct pedestrian and bicycle facilities, improve access to public transportation [or] create safe routes to school," officials said in a news release.
Funds also are available to "incorporate community improvements such as historic preservation and vegetation management, provide environmental mitigation related to stormwater and habitat connectivity, create trail projects that serve a transportation purpose and provide for vulnerable road user safety assessment program projects,” the release said.
Application seminar set
Officials will hold a webinar at 10 a.m. Wednesday for interested applicants, including regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, public land agencies and school districts, local education agencies or schools.
Applications will be accepted through Oct. 31.
“Pennsylvanians make decisions about how they travel for many reasons, the most critical of which is the infrastructure available to them,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said.
“The TA Set-Aside program offers communities around the commonwealth the opportunity to improve infrastructure and provide residents with a broader range of transportation options.”
Draft applications must be submitted to PennDOT by Sept. 5. Awards are expected to be announced in spring.
In the most recent round of TASA funding, announced last month, six Lehigh Valley organizations — the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, Community Bike Works and the South Bethlehem Greenway Trail Extension and others — were awarded $2.6 million for projects.
