Community Impact reports that an active transportation mobility plan from the City of Montgomery is being submitted for TxDOT’s 2023 Transportation Alternatives Program call for projects. On May 23rd, the Montgomery City Council adopted the resolution supporting the city’s application.
The City’s agenda packet says:
“TxDOT offers a grant program for non-roadway mobility projects every two years. Projects can either be physical improvements. for example a sidewalk or trail, or planning documents that serve as a guide for future physical projects.
“City staff submitted a Preliminary Application for an Active Transportation Mobility Plan in March for TxDOT’s 2023 Call for Projects. The need for the plan is twofold:
1. Serve as the guide for staff and council to identify projects and budgets if the city decides to
self-fund high-priority projects.
2. Increase our competitiveness when applying for mobility grants.
“The grant award process is highly competitive. The 2023 Call for Projects received $1.7 billion in funding requests for an anticipated $250 million worth of federal funds. In other words, 85% of this year’s grant applications will not get funded. To get grant funding, an application needs to score every possible point during the grant application review process.
“An Active Transportation Mobility Plan is the document that meets the city’s current needs to pursue mobility grants for non-roadway projects.
“TxDOT Transportation Alternatives grants are 80% federally funded with a 20% local match. The budget estimate used in the Preliminary Application is $120,000 for the development of an Active Transportation Mobility Plan. While that figure may be slightly high, using that as a starting point means the city will need to budget $24,000 in next year’s budget for the Plan.”
The awards for projects come in late September or early October.
