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Support a Paved Trails Feasibility Study Grant Application to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
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Staff:
Department:
Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Deputy Town Manager
Manager
Bergen Watterson, Transportation Planning Manager
Planning
Overview: Adoption of the resolution is required to submit an application for a Paved Trails Feasibility Study through the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). According to the NCDOT website, the purpose of the Paved Trails and Sidewalk Feasibility Study Grant Program is to improve the pipeline of bicycle and pedestrian projects accessing state and federal funding, resulting in successful implementation of projects led by communities prioritizing multimodal infrastructure. The goal is to end up with a well-conceived project with demonstrated community support that will be competitive in the NCDOT prioritization process as well as for federal funds that do not flow through the state.
Recommendation(s):
That the Council adopt a resolution supporting a Paved Trails Feasibility Study grant application.
Key Issues:
* If awarded, this funding would support a step taken towards implementing Everywhere to Everywhere Greenways.
* There is $2.5 million available in grant funding through NCDOT.
* Staff has not fleshed out specifically which project(s) to include in the application, but the hope is to submit a connected network of potential greenways for evaluation rather than one corridor.
* NCDOT will prioritize projects that are included in the Great Trails State Network and that help mitigate transportation disadvantage.
* Submitted projects must be in a locally or regionally adopted plan (i.e. Mobility and Connectivity Plan, Comprehensive Transportation Plan).
* The deadline for the application is January 9, 2023 and notification of award will be sometime after March 2023.
Fiscal Impact/Resources: The grant, if awarded, would not require a local match, though it could make an application stronger in...
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