Application period opens to study if new path is good fit for communities

 Would a new sidewalk or bicycle and walking path be right for your community?

The N.C. Department of Transportation is inviting North Carolina communities to apply for the Paved Trails and Sidewalk Feasibility Grant program for funding to evaluate the viability and design alternatives of planned bicycle and pedestrian paths.

Communities have from today until Jan. 9, 2023, to apply for a NCDOT grant that would pay for a feasibility study.

Those eligible to apply include North Carolina municipalities, counties, metropolitan or rural planning organizations, bicycle, pedestrian advocacy and trail friend groups, as well as land conservancies. However, colleges, universities and business improvement districts are not eligible to apply.

The studies are being paid for using $2.5 million in state and federal funds.

Feasibility studies will evaluate the viability of a transportation project, complete initial stages of design and environmental review, and develop implementation strategies. Public input will play an important role in the study’s conclusions. The feasibility study enables communities to examine route alternatives, develop cost estimates, and advance projects to compete for additional funding for design and construction.

The types of projects to be considered include paths that can be shared by walkers, runners and cyclists, paved trails, greenways and sidewalks. 

The Paved Trails and Sidewalk Feasibility Grant program is aimed at improving the number of good transportation options available to people in North Carolina communities. Paths and sidewalks play an important role in improving residents’ access to jobs, medical care, educational opportunities as well as health and quality of life.

For more information, please check out NCDOT’s web page devoted to the feasibility studies program:  https://connect.ncdot.gov/municipalities/PlanningGrants/Pages/IMD-Feasibility-Studies-Program.aspx.