Fundamentally, smart transportation is linking land use and transportation to create better communities. This linkage requires strong partnerships between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, MPOs/RPOs, and local municipalities. To provide an incentive for projects that promote collaborative decision-making, advance integrated land use and transportation decisions, and to incentivize regional and multi-municipal cooperation throughout the Commonwealth, PennDOT has developed the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative (PCTI).

$60 Million of federal/state transportation funds will be made available for these incentivized projects over the first two years of the 2009 Transportation Improvement Program. Projects may receive up to $5 million for these projects. (No more than $300,000 for planning activities).

NOTE: This is not a grant program. State and federal guidelines, eligibility, and regulations apply.

Applicants will request funds through PennDOT’s Center for Program Development and Management. The application should be sent to nritchie@state.pa.us . Applications will be forwarded to the appropriate PennDOT District Office as well as the associated MPO/RPO upon receipt. The Department may contact applicants for further information prior to making a decision on project funding. Initial applications will be accepted no later than December 15, 2008.

Projects will be selected based on the degree to which the project supports Smart Transportation principles and the ability to implement local land use actions in support of the transportation investment. The Department will attempt to award a mix of projects that demonstrates a range of smart transportation principles.

1. Projects which support local economic or community development projects and that encourage walkable, multimodal, mixed use developments or corridors, or incorporate brownfield or greyfield redevelopment opportunities.
2. Enhancing and utilizing the existing transportation network infrastructure capacity to reduce the demand on the region’s transportation network,
3. Improving regional connectivity (For example, more integrated use of arterials and secondary roads to relieve congestion on state highways, multimodal circulation improvements, sidewalks, paths),
4. Roadside improvements (i.e., transit and bicycle amenities, streetscape improvements, parking), and
5. Improvements to support transit oriented, brownfield and greyfield developments