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$20 million available for Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transportation Enhancement projects
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Article Content
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| ODOT News |
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April 24, 2012
For more information: Shelley Snow, Public Affairs, (503) 986-3438 or Pat Fisher, Transportation Enhancement, (503) 986-3528 or Sheila Lyons, Bicycle/Pedestrian, (503) 986-3555
SALEM – With the recent approval by the Oregon Transportation Commission of a combined selection process for bicycle/pedestrian and transportation enhancement projects, the Oregon Department of Transportation will open the application process for $20 million on May 1, 2012. Projects chosen will receive state-funded grants from ODOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program (OBPAC) and federal funds from the Transportation Enhancement (TE) Program. The two programs recently moved to ODOT’s newly-created Active Transportation Section, with a goal of creating efficiencies and maximizing available funding.
The combined TE/OBPAC competitive application process will award funds starting in July 2013. All projects previously eligible under either the TE or Pedestrian/Bicycle program are eligible in the new process. Requests may include bicycle and pedestrian facilities within or outside a street right-of-way, such as sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, intersection improvements, streetscapes, bike boulevards, minor roadway widening for bikeways, and shared-use paths within or separate from a roadway corridor. Requests may also include transportation-related scenic, historic, and environmental mitigation activities shown in the list below. Examples include restoring historic transportation buildings, providing wildlife crossings or water pollution mitigation, or adding landscaping, viewpoints, and interpretive sites that help travelers appreciate the scenery and history along Oregon roads and highways.
ODOT will accept proposals from local, state and federal agencies or from non-profit or for-profit entities in partnership with a public agency. Application materials, instructions and project requirements will be available from ODOT’s Active Transportation Section website on April 30, 2012. Project proposals are due June 6, 2012.
In past years, the TE and Pedestrian/Bicycle programs coordinated the timing and process of their project selection to serve a wide spectrum of needs. Locating both programs in the Active Transportation Section creates more opportunity for comprehensive solutions; instead of a separate, parallel process for the two streams of funding, they now work together to provide a broader view of potential investments. This is part of ODOT’s larger vision of strategic and integrated investment of transportation funds. Expected benefits of the new approach include an easier process for applicants, greater administrative efficiency within ODOT, better leveraging of funds, and greater success in advancing and completing projects.
Applications for the Combined TE/OBPAC funding will be evaluated on five major criteria: legacy benefit; system benefit; community benefit; user benefit; and importance and need. To learn more, visit the website at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/AT/TE_OBPAC.shtml.
For questions about project eligibility or the project selection process, call ODOT’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Program office at (503) 986-3555 or the TE Program at (503) 986-3528.
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