PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently announced that the application round for the 2023 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Surface Transportation Block Grant Program will open to project sponsors on May 30, 2023. Approximately $28 million in statewide funds will be made available.
The TASA provides funding for projects and activities defined as transportation alternatives, including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation, and trails that serve a transportation purpose. Eligible project sponsors include local, county, and tribal governments, transit agencies, schools, school districts, nonprofits, and small Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).
Additionally, the TASA includes Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects, which can include sidewalk/ADA ramp improvements, bike safety lessons, and bike rodeos.
“Projects like the ones TASA supports are crucial to improving mobility in our communities,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “The TASA program can provide critical aid our communities to support these important projects in communities across the Commonwealth.”
PennDOT will host a webinar for project sponsors on May 24, 2023, at 10:00 AM. Details to join the webinar, as well as guidance and procedures for PennDOT’s 2023 Transportation Set-Aside Program can be found here. Questions can be submitted to RA-pdTASA@pa.gov.
Additional projects eligible for TASA funding may include bicycle and pedestrian facilities, conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails, stormwater management, and construction of turnouts, overlooks and viewing areas. Eligible projects are not required to be located on PennDOT roadways and may be located within local rights-of-way.
Sponsors may submit draft applications through July 17, 2023, for District review. After review, final applications may be submitted until September 15, 2023. Selections from participating large MPOs will be due December 1, 2023. The statewide project selection committee will meet in January 2024 to recommend projects for statewide Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside funds. Approximately $28 million in statewide funds will be made available. Additional funds may be made available through participating MPO regional funds.
For more information on the TASA, visit the PennDOT website.
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