From the Oregon Department of Transportation:
Exciting news! On July 14, the Oregon Transportation Commission approved $4 million in state Transportation Operating Funds for the Community Paths Program 2022 solicitation. There is also $3 million in federal Safe Routes to School funding for community paths projects that address a transportation need of local students.
That’s $7 million in additional funding for the 2022 solicitation!
Pre-applications will be accepted starting August 1. Here is what you need to know about this round of funding:
- $30 million is available in federal funding for construction or preliminary planning (Project Refinement) for projects between $500,000 and $6 million. Federal-funded grants will require a 10.27% match.
- $3 million is available in federal funding for projects within one mile of a school (K-12) that have a letter from the school detailing the need and how the project addresses that need. These are also for projects between $500,000 and $6 million, and they also require a 10.27% match.
- $4 million is available in State Transportation Operating Funds for smaller construction projects ($300,000 – $1 million). State-funded grants require a 30% match.
Oregon Community Paths, or OCP, is a competitive statewide transportation program that supports investments in multiuse paths that are not part of a roadway. Examples of eligible projects may be routes or segments that pass through a park, along a greenway, or follow abandoned rail corridors to connect community centers, services, housing, employment, schools, and recreation. Some on-road projects, such as roadway crossings for existing paths, are also eligible. OCP projects must serve a transportation purpose (not recreational) and must be open for public use. This program funds two types of community paths:
- Critical Links – walking and biking connections to schools, downtowns, shopping, employment, and other essential destinations.
- Regional Paths – connecting communities no more than 15 miles apart, or traversing one community with a path 10 miles long or greater; examples include southern Oregon’s Bear Creek Greenway or Portland’s Springwater Corridor.
Key dates to remember
- August 1 to September 15 – Pre-Applications accepted.
- November 1 to January 31, 2023 – Applications accepted.
- May 2023 – Oregon Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee makes recommendations.
- July 2023 – Oregon Transportation Commission approves projects.
- October 2023 – Projects begin.
For more information, please sign up for our email list, or contact Alan Thompson, PATHS Program manager, 971-375-3903 or Alan.L.Thompson@odot.oregon.gov