The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is hosting an on-demand virtual public meeting and comment period for a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study exploring sustainable transportation funding options. The public meeting is accessible online at all hours of the day through June 1, 2021, at www.penndot.gov/funding. The PEL study, in support of the PennDOT Pathways program, is being conducted to identify near- and long-term alternative funding solutions and establish a methodology for their evaluation.

In February, PennDOT announced candidate bridge projects being considered as a part of the Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership (P3) Initiative. This initiative, the first of the PennDOT Pathways Program, was formed in response to one of the early findings of the PEL study – that tolling of major bridges in need of replacement or rehabilitation is a potentially viable near-term funding solution. The draft PEL study report is currently available for review and comment and identifies additional medium- to long-term funding alternatives that could be considered for implementation.

Greene County commissioners recently said funding for 25 different local businesses has been approved through two separate initiatives geared to assist businesses impacted by COVID-19.

Commissioner Mike Belding said Monday the businesses applied earlier this year for the Forgivable Advance for Small Business Assistance (FASBA) program or the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP).

“FASBA and CHIRP are programs for small businesses to recover some COVID-related financial impacts,” Belding said.

Commissioners also announced nine area businesses were awarded grant funding through CHIRP, with seven of the businesses receiving $50,000 and two receiving $5,000.