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 its eighth round of assistance to advance policy development related to active transportation. Grants and technical assistance will be offered to a limited number of municipalities and other governmental bodies to assist with the development of Active Transportation Plans during 2024 and 2025. These plans are essential to our efforts to establish activity-friendly routes that connect people to everyday destinations, thereby expanding opportunities for physical activity and improving public health.
In the context of this Funding Opportunity, active transportation includes walking, biking, using a wheelchair, and accessing public transit. Eligible applicants include municipalities, Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organizations (MPOs/RPOs), and other governmental entities, like Counties, with the capacity to complete the proposed project and adopt the resulting plans.
The full Funding Opportunity Announcement is linked here as a word document so that the file can be used to complete the application (Appendix E). It is additionally available as a pdf here, though not fillable in that format. An informational webinar reviewing the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will take place on Wednesday, February 7, at noon, on zoom. Register at this link
Important Dates
The grant round has shifted earlier in the calendar year from previous cycles. WalkWorks is making a concerted effort to disseminate the Announcement so that applicants will have adequate time to attend to the shift and assemble their applications. The intent is for those selected to receive grants to have a full year to develop their plans. As detailed throughout the Funding Opportunity Announcement, the following are some pertinent dates:
Would developing an Active Transportation Plan make sense for your community? Depending on your role in the community, next steps may vary. If you are a municipal official, please talk to your staff and other leadership about putting together an application. Consider whether adjacent municipalities should be involved in your community’s application process in some way, whether as co-applicants for a multi-municipal effort or as sources for Letters of Support. If you are with a local non-profit, please encourage municipal leaders (or county or MPO/RPO leaders) to apply. If you are an interested resident, please approach your elected officials. No matter your role, if you haven’t already, start talking to local elected officials and/or the decision-making body of your community about the potential and rationale for taking part. The application must be submitted by a body that will be able to adopt the plans and policies, but non-governmental organizations and individuals are encouraged to support and assist their communities with applying as well as being very engaged in the process of developing plans and policies. The support of decision-makers is a necessary but not sufficient step in the process. Community partners can both help to make the case for taking on the project and augment the effectiveness of the community engagement portion of the work.
We are seeking broad distribution of this announcement and would very much appreciate your sharing it with others, such as elected officials, municipal and county planners, and MPOs/RPOs. Further, we hope that MPOs/RPOs receiving this will inform the municipalities within their respective regions of this opportunity and look for ways to collaborate with and support them in pursuit of active transportation-related planning. In addition to the link shared repeatedly here, the full announcement, including the application and other appendices, will be available on the PA WalkWorks website after January 10, 2023.