5.0 PRIORITIES + IMPLEMENTATION Funding Opportunities
PennDOT also offers grants through the Multi-modal Transportation Fund which is distinct from the program run by the DCED. This funding source supports projects related to transit as well as non-motorized travel (e.g. bike paths). These grant opportunities need to be compared with the priorities of the District Partners and then more thoroughly studied to understand the appropriateness of the fit between project and funding source. Often meeting with representatives of agencies like the DCED can be fruitful in terms of understanding the funding mechanisms and building support for a particular project.
Local communities and IUP cannot rely on their own resources to implement the recommendations of this study. Luckily there are a number of state and federal programs that have been established to assist local communities in these kinds of proposals. Such grant and funding programs are typically targeted in one of two ways: • Grants, tax advantages, loans and loan guarantees to support the private development of (and supporting public infrastructure for) sites that are located in distressed and under-utilized parts of communities, include obsolete or abandoned structures, or involve environmental contamination. • Grants that fund public improvements related to recreation facilities, trails, streets and streetscapes, and similar facilities. Many of these funding programs are managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). The DCED offers an array of grants, loans, loan guarantees and tax credits and other incentives to help businesses, communities, and municipalities succeed in Pennsylvania, including:
• The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) offers programs, such as: • Alternative and Clean Energy Program; • Building PA; • Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program; • High Performance Building Program;
• Multi-modal Transportation Fund; and, the • Community Development Block Grants • Industrial Sites Reuse Program • Keystone Communities Program • Community Economic Development Loan Program
• Historic Preservation Tax Credit • Business in Our Sites Program
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