Braddock Hills is pleased to announce that a local team is working with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center to prepare an Active Transportation Plan over the next two years. The goal is to be ready early next year to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Health WalkWorks Program for funding to develop an active transportation plan. The term “active transportation” refers to walking, biking, using a wheelchair or other mobility aid, and taking transit to get to everyday destinations. The WalkWorks program works to improve public health through environmental design, educating about and promoting active transportation, and funding the development of related municipal plans. Since 2017, WalkWorks has provided funding through the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 72 active transportation plans across the Commonwealth, with seven more now underway.
For many communities, the need to focus on active transportation is well-known, and the interest in applying to develop an active transportation plan is established, but municipal officials need support to get up to speed on the topic and familiar with the application and planning process. To address these challenges, the Pennsylvania Downtown Center offers the Justin R. Lehman Community Capacity-Building Pre-Planning Assistance Program in select communities, including Braddock Hills.
Each of the awarded communities is located in a priority area as defined either by the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s State Physical Activity and Nutrition or Diabetes Prevention Programs or by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Justice Map.
The communities will work with the WalkWorks program manager from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center to complete a series of steps leading towards the submission of an application for active transportation planning funds next year. The steps include virtual education sessions, establishing connections to key state agency and planning organization representatives in the region, identifying local partners, working to establish the scope and budget for the proposed plan, hosting a technical assistance site visit, and planning for a public event related to active transportation. At the conclusion of this process, the municipality will have the information and knowledge needed to submit a solid application for planning funds, adapted to local needs and conditions. They will also be well-positioned to start right away and be able to make the most of the grant award period if awarded funding.
In addition to Technical Assistance provided by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, the Capacity-Building Pre-Planning Program also includes the potential to increase a future planning grant award by $3,000 beyond the standard level established by the program guidelines.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, please visit padowntown.org. For more information about WalkWorks, please visit pawalkworks.com.
