A federal program that in the past has allowed Pittsburgh to fill in gaps in sidewalks and New Castle to establish a bicycle-pedestrian route over a five-block area has $80 million available for Pennsylvania in this cycle.
The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program managed by the state Department of Transportation will begin accepting applications Monday. The money is for transportation-related projects that meet special transportation needs, improve safe access to schools, mitigate stormwater problems or support historic restoration projects across the state.
“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 in a news release. “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.”
The program, which will accept applications through Oct. 31, is paid for through $70 million from the Federal Highway Administration and $10 million provided by metropolitan planning organizations across the state such as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. Draft applications are due to district PennDOT offices by Oct. 5 for review by regional planners and PennDOT district officials before a statewide committee recommends projects to be funded in March.
Since 2016, the state has awarded $287 million in grants under the program. The program has been around for more than 20 years, but it received a funding boost under the Biden administration’s infrastructure program that is now in its last year.
PennDOT is having a webinar at 10 a.m. Wednesday to help sponsors and applicants learn more about it and get tips on filing for successful projects.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.