The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is awarding the City of Butler $1,545,356 in grant funding to support sidewalk and pedestrian safety improvements along downtown Main Street. This project will make improvements to sidewalks and crosswalks, and increase accessibility for both local students and residents.
“The City of Butler is a vital part of our County’s economy and Main Street is frequented by all County residents,” said Leslie Osche, Chair of the Butler County Commissioners. “This funding will ensure that our sidewalks are safe for not only County residents and visitors, but our local students who use it as a way to get to and from their schools downtown—this project helps to ensure that their safety remains at the forefront of ongoing revitalization efforts.”
SPC recently completed the selection process for its discretionary competitive grant program which selects certain projects within the region to receive federal funding. The organization has a selection committee that reviews grant applications submitted from counties and municipalities within its coverage area. The grant applications are then competitively reviewed and scored to ensure that these projects adhere to federal standards.
“The City is vibrant and we have so much to look forward to,” said Bob Dandoy, Mayor of the City of Butler. “We are very fortunate to work closely with our County Commissioners, and Joe Saeler from the Butler County Community Development Corporation. Joe was instrumental in supporting us throughout the grant application process. I am confident that because of this existing collaboration, robust support and hard work, the City will continue to flourish. When we all work together towards a common goal, our students, residents, and business community will reap the benefits.”
As the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Local Development District (LDD), and Economic Development District (EDD), SPC receives an allotment of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation that it can award to entities that have improvement projects which qualify under three areas: Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program (CMAQ), Carbon Reduction program (CRP), and the Transportation Alternatives Set Aside (TASA) program.
The CMAQ and CRP programs accept applications from counties and municipalities that have projects which will help to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. Eligible initiatives under these two programs can include pedestrian and bicycle facility projects, transit improvement programs, electric vehicles and charging stations, congestion reduction and traffic flow improvements, and diesel engine retrofitting/replacements. The TASA program accepts applications from counties and municipalities for projects that support transportation alternatives, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, improving access to public transportation, enhanced mobility, recreational trails, safe routes to schools, and environmental mitigation.
“Awarding this grant to the City of Butler so that it can increase pedestrian safety for its local residents and students is one of the ways that the SPC works to make that happen, said Rich Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “Students need to be kept safe on their way to and from school and when we are able to play a role in ensuring that happens—we are living up to our commitment to serve and support our region.”
Initiatives like the City of Butler’s pedestrian safety improvement project reflects the vision of SPC’s Long Range Transportation Plan which strives to ensure the region is connected and has multimodal mobility for all. It also aligns with SPC’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategic Action Plan. TDM focuses on the decisions that people and businesses make every day about travel, and involves providing travelers with information, options, and incentives that expand travel choices.
Media Inquiries: Caitlin O’Connor
Cell: 412-719-5366
coconnor@spcregion.org
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About Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission:
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO), local development district (LDD), and economic development district (EDD) serving 10 counties. The organization’s coverage area includes Allegheny including the City of Pittsburgh, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties. It is responsible for planning and prioritizing the use of state and federal transportation funding and establishing economic/workforce development priorities for the region.
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