The aim of this funding opportunity is to facilitate the development of land use plans and policies at the local and regional levels that allow for the development of activity-friendly routes connecting to everyday destinations. Thus, it is important that those considering this opportunity recognize the source of funding – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – and its commitment to increasing physical activity, improving quality of life, and reducing cost of healthcare.
The purpose of this funding program is to improve walking, bicycling, using a wheelchair, and transit connections to everyday destinations and to increase safe and accessible opportunities for people of all ages, abilities, modes, and means to be physically active through environmental design. Creation or enhancement of the active transportation environment is guided by plans and policies that document a community commitment to this goal. The plan should create a framework for a safe, accessible, connected walking and biking infrastructure network through identification of specific projects, including routes (multi-use paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and public transit routes) and everyday destinations (e.g., residences, workplaces, childcare, grocery stores, retail centers, entertainment) that will be enhanced or developed to connect to the network.
It is expected that the plans resulting from this funding program will emphasize the relationship of public health and active transportation. Thus, awarded communities should address and commit to developing plans aimed at enhancing the built environment so that opportunities for physical activity are increased and the health of residents improved. All plans will need to address the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for their area. All non-profit hospital organizations must conduct a CHNA every three years and adopt an implementation strategy to meet the community health needs identified through the CHNA. Both the assessment and implementation strategy will be posted on the website of the hospital. Most of these documents, if not all, cite high rates of obesity and related chronic diseases as priorities and address physical activity as a means to address these issues. Pertinent data from the CHNA might include the rate of obesity, levels of physical inactivity, or prevalence of chronic diseases and should be considered in the development of active transportation plans as, in the end, the expectation is that the goals or strategies of the plans will aim to reduce such conditions.
For Eligible Projects, see page 3 of the FOA in Supporting Documents below.
Additional Geographic Information:
To see if your community is in a current PA DOH SPAN priority county, please refer to this link: https://arcg.is/K09ij. To see if your community is in a DEP EJ area, please refer to this link: https://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/OfficeofEnvironmentalJustice/Pages/PA-Environmental-Justice-Areas.aspx.