Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) received a $100,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to create an Active Transportation Plan (ATP) that is designed to make walking and biking safer and easier in Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties.

TCRPC will work with local municipalities, businesses, PennDOT, and other stakeholders to create the ATP's policies and infrastructure. The plan will also serve as a guide for municipalities to develop their own active transportation strategies and will become part of the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study's (HATS) Regional Backbone.

As the Harrisburg area has continued to grow and develop over the past decade, there is a need for comprehensive transportation planning that takes pedestrians and bicyclists into account. With support from this funding, the ATP will provide a comprehensive network for non-motorized transportation that makes connections to important places and communities in the region.

The grant, awarded through DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program, is part of $90 million recently announced for 330 projects across Pennsylvania that are designed to create new recreational opportunities, conserve natural resources, and help revitalize local communities. While the DCNR funding will be used for off-road planning, additional PennDOT funding will be used for the on-road portion of the ATP.

In the near future, TCRPC staff will begin outreach to municipalities, businesses, and community members to begin the planning process. TCRPC administers the HATS program, which is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties.

To learn more, visit http://www.tcrpc-pa.org.