Walking, biking, using a wheelchair, and accessing transit are independent, reliable, and resilient transportation modes that are healthy for our minds, bodies, finances, communities, and the environment. We look forward to a time when everyone in Pennsylvania has a full range of transportation options available to them.
To that end, WalkWorks is pleased to announce a new program to assist low-capacity, high interest municipalities with the pre-planning steps they must undertake in order to be ready to apply for funding to develop active transportation plans in 2024. A small amount of money and structured pre-planning assistance will be available to selected municipal applicants. Eligible municipalities must be located either in the newly updated list of State Physical Activity and Nutrition target counties identified by the Department of Health or in an Environmental Justice area as designated by the Department of Environmental Protection, both of which are shown on this map. In addition, applicants should have an interest in applying for funding to develop an active transportation plan but lack the knowledge, professional support, or resources needed to assemble an application. Barriers may include lack of clarity among elected officials about the goals/results of developing a plan, lack of understanding among the public of the relevance of such a plan for their community, and/or an inability to establish a reasonable scope and budget for the plan.
Mini-grants and structured assistance will be offered to a limited number of municipalities between September of 2023 and March of 2024. The long term goal is to prepare additional communities to apply to develop active transportation plans which is necessary for the establishment of activity-friendly routes that connect people to everyday destinations, expanding opportunities for physical activity and improving public health.
An informational webinar reviewing the FOA will take place on Thursday, June 22, at noon, on zoom. Register at this link.
Click here to learn more.