The Texas Transportation Commission announced in late January that Dripping Springs, Elgin, Granger, and Smithville would receive $5.2 million to complete six sidewalk projects using funds from the Safe Routes to School and Non-Urban/Small Urban Transportation Alternative Set-Aside programs.
Grant funding for sidewalks isn’t widely available and as soon as TxDOT made the project announcement, the CAPCOG Community and Economic Development Division began conducting outreach to help solicit projects. During the announcement period, it arranged a program briefing from TxDOT to the Capital Area Regional Transportation Organization. It also attended a webinar and project meeting on behalf of several CAPCOG area communities to ensure they had accurate and timely program information. “This funding hadn’t been available to rural communities in years, and CAPCOG wanted to ensure local governments knew about the opportunity,” said Rachel Steele, CAPCOG Community and Economic Development Director. “I was so impressed with the level of planning that was already in place in a majority of the communities we contacted.” While projects calls aren’t predictable for these funds, any level of planning a community can do will get them closer to a future application.
By the application deadline, CAPCOG provided technical assistance to 12 applicants from the region. Of the 260 applications submitted statewide for this project call, TxDOT funded only 30, which included the six from the CAPCOG region. Unfunded, short-listed projects still have a chance for funding as the Texas Transportation Commission will consider a list of conditional projects for 2021-2022 funding. Additional projects also may be awarded funding from the 2019 project call if money becomes available.
Read More about the CAPCOG Community and Economic Development Division.
