Funding Sources

Borough revitalization and improvement is one of the hottest political topics in the state today. Roadway maintenance and mobility are important issues for boroughs to address in order to revitalize or maintain a strong economy, mobility, and sense of community. Frequently, boroughs do not have enough adequate funds of their own for road improvement and upgrade projects; however, there are many alternative methods of securing funding to aid in subsidizing theses projects. The following list briefly discusses funding alternatives:

The PennDOT 12-Year Plan is PennDOT's prioritized list of roadway improvement projects which are scheduled to take place over the next 12 years. This list is subdivided into three four-year sections. The list is biannually reevaluated, adding and deleting projects. Nearly all funding is 80% federal and 20% "Other." State DOT funds traditionally comprise the "other" category except on local match projects.

Traditionally, county planning agencies prioritize projects recommended to them by municipalities. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), such as the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), then takes each county's prioritized list and establishes the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for the region. Project son the TIP usually comprise the first four-year section of PennDOT's 12-year Plan. Although not guaranteed funding, the projects stand the greatest chance of moving forward.

However, there are other means of securing the necessary 20% "other" funding that are independent of traditional 12-Year Plan funding process. Such funding sources are:

Possible nontraditional sources of Federal Funds:

CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program) Funds apply only in areas where the air quality does not attain certain minimum ozone requirements. CMAQ funds were recently awarded and will not be open for applications for another two years.

Transportation Enhancement Program is part of TEA-21 Legislation and funds "off-line" transportation related projects such as pedestrian bridges, rails to trails programs, and bike lanes.

TCSP (Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program) which funds projects that improve efficiency of the transportation system and reduce the need for costly infrastructure investments. In 2000, TCSP earmarked $25 million for 39 roadway improvement projects throughout the US (two of which were in Pennsylvania).

Earmarked projects by Congress: Federal Legislators can require that specific roadway improvements projects be included in TEA-21. Greater than expected gas tax revenues will necessitate that TEA-21 be reopened this fall to designate a revised budget and accept new project applications.

Partnership Act Funds are established by creating a special tax assessment district for road improvements within the district. This is most beneficial in business districts which generate a lot of traffic. Establishing this district requires a study to identify recommended improvements and related costs.

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) provides grants and low interest loans to boroughs and communities therein for a variety of roadway improvement projects. Traditionally, these funds are used by municipalities for curb, drainage, and sidewalk projects. However, these funds can be used as part of a local match to fund large scale projects, such as corridor improvement projects. For instance, Collegeville Borough, Montgomery County, used these funds for preliminary design and environmental studies for their Route 29 Improvement Project.

The Goal

Building a quality community, or revitalizing a borough, often depends greatly on pedestrian and vehicular safety. Therefore, maintaining and upgrading road systems is of the utmost importance.

Improvements and upgrades can take many forms, such as closed loop traffic signals systems to improve traffic flow, or bike trails and crosswalks to improve pedestrian mobility and safety.

Improving the quality of life of millions of Pennsylvanians by revitalizing and maintaining boroughs is a high priority for local, county, state, and federal officials, and they have made millions of dollars in funding available for roadway improvement projects through various resources to accomplish these goals.

Printed in the PA Borough News, April 2000, Volume 39, Number 4.

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