Bicycle and pedestrian facilities grant opportunity announced

The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG) issued a call for project applications for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Set-Aside (otherwise known as Transportation Alternatives) inviting eligible applicants in Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific, and Wahkiakum Counties to apply. The application period began May 29 and the deadline is July 24.

Transportation Alternatives is a federal-aid transportation program which provides funding for bicycle and pedestrian facilities; recreational trails; safe routes for non-drivers; conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails; and traffic calming, lighting, and other infrastructure to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. The Transportation Alternatives program is a federal cost reimbursement program with a local match of 13.5 percent required for all projects. All projects must follow federal regulations, including environmental, right-of-way, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A guidance document and application form for the call for projects are available online at http://www.cwcog.org or by request at CWCOG at Administration Annex / 207 North 4th Ave, Kelso, WA 98626 (360) 577-3041. Questions may be directed to the attention of Robert Stevens at CWCOG by regular mail at the address above, via email to cwcog@cwcog.org, or by FAX at (360) 214-3425.

Those needing special accommodations to participate in this process should call 360-577-3041 by 5:00 p.m. on July 17. Ask for the ADA Coordinator. For TDD users, use the state's toll-free relay service, (800) 833-6388, and ask the operator to dial 360-956-7575.