Interested in funding for your bike/ped path? Attend a webinar!

March 1, 2024

To our valued Active Transportation partners,

As part of the 2024 solicitation of the Oregon Community Paths Program, we are offering three webinars to discuss the program and answer any questions you may have.

These webinars will take place March 14, April 11, May 9, 10 a.m. – noon.

To register for any of these webinars, please contact Alan Thompson, Oregon Community Paths program manager at Alan.L.Thompson@odot.oregon.gov.

Other key dates

• August 1 to September 15 – Pre-Applications accepted.
• November 1 to January 15, 2025 – Applications accepted.
• March 2025 – Oregon Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee makes recommendations.
• May 2025 – Oregon Transportation Commission approves projects.
• October 2025 – Projects begin.

Important information

What is the Oregon Community Paths Program? The OCP invests in facilities that are not primarily on or along a roadway. These off-system paths may be pedestrian/bicycle paths or path segments such as:

• Regional paths that connect communities or larger paths.
• Critical links that connect to major destinations, such as employment centers, schools, large transit stations, etc.

Who is eligible to apply for these grants? Eligible applicants include cities, counties, Tribes, school districts or transportation districts, and non-profits that meet certain criteria.

What types of walking and biking path projects are eligible? Projects that can be funded include those that could, for example:

• Traverse a park to connect another path.
• Go between housing developments to connect to a school or another path.
• Go along greenways or old rail lines.
• Exist in areas that are not otherwise within the public right of way.
• Cross streets, connecting paths.

Where is the funding from? The 2024 solicitation will use federal Transportation Alternatives Program and Oregon Transportation Commission-directed Surface Transportation Block Grant funding. There will not be any state-funded projects awarded in this round.

What are we working to achieve? Our goal is to complement existing active transportation programs in communities across the state.

What's next? We will publish solicitation and guidance materials in the coming months on the OCP website. We will notify everyone on our key audience list via email (feel free to share this e-newsletter and encourage folks to sign up for these program updates).

Background

Oregon Community Paths is a competitive statewide transportation program that supports investments in multiuse paths that are not part of a roadway. Examples of eligible projects may be routes or segments that pass through a park, along a greenway, or follow abandoned rail corridors to connect community centers, services, housing, employment, schools, and recreation. Some on-road projects, such as roadway crossings for existing paths, are also eligible. OCP projects must serve a transportation purpose (not recreational) and must be open for public use. The program was created by the Oregon Legislature's HB 2017.

For more information, please contact Alan Thompson at 971-375-3903 or Alan.L.Thompson@odot.oregon.gov

Thank you for your support of safe walking and rolling in Oregon!

The Oregon Community Paths team