The Oregon Department of Transportation has now announced that they are spending $34.6 million on 25 Oregon Community Paths (OCP) projects approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission. It was approved at the meeting last week in Pendleton.

“We had another round of outstanding applicants, requesting a total of $80 million,” said Alan Thompson, OCP program manager. “All 57 of them addressed needs for off-road paths or as necessary alternatives to busy roadways.”

The OCP program, created by the large transportation funding program HB 2017, is a program that is intended to provide federal and state grants in biking and walking facilities that are “off system,” meaning facilities that are not primarily on or along a roadway.

ODOT says they will now develop agreements with the successful applicants allowing the projects to start after October 1. Grantees will then move forward with their various construction and planning projects.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

ODOT says that staff reviewed and ranked applications according to procedures approved by the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The staff scored an initial list of projects as follows:

• Those that addressed needs in the highest transportation-disadvantaged areas.
• Those that addressed safety barriers.
• Those that had a high probability of project completion within five years.

The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee then reviewed all applications for this second round of funding and recommended the list of applications to the Oregon Transportation Commission for approval.

More information about the program is available on the Oregon Community Paths Program website.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-07-23 13:52:17

Last Update: 2023-07-23 15:02:38