Takac helps secure $1.5 million in grant funding for College Township
Will fund construction of new shared use path
Rep. Paul Takac April 25, 2024 | 4:50 PM
HARRISBURG, April 25 – A $1.5 million grant will be earmarked for the construction of a shared use path in College Township, state Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced today.
College Township was awarded the grant that will be utilized to construct a 10-foot shared use path running from the new sidewalk at Puddintown Road to an existing 8-foot path near Hastings Road in State College Borough on the property of Penn State University. This funding is in addition to the $500,000 recently awarded for the project from the Multimodal Transportation Fund administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, bringing a total of $2 million in state funding for the project.
This approximately 1-mile path will fill a critical gap in the regional bicycle and pedestrian network, and will provide a safe, offset and continuous connection along East College Avenue, linking the existing College Township Bike Path, which parallels the Mount Nittany Expressway, with the existing paths and bike lanes on campus and in State College Borough.
“This College Avenue project was originally conceived when I was still a member of College Township Council, so I am thrilled about this very substantial grant award to help make it a reality,” Takac said. “Enhancing the ability of pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate this very busy corridor in order to access the University Park campus and State College Borough will have a profound impact on residents, visitors and nearby businesses.
“This project will also connect to the existing network of existing trails, parks and facilities along and across Route 322. I am very proud to support impactful and significant projects like this and will continue to advocate for future bike- and pedestrian-friendly projects in our community."
The grants were awarded through the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside and administered by the state Transportation Department. The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside provides funding for projects and activities defined as transportation alternatives, including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation, trails that serve a transportation purpose, and safe routes to school projects.