A dozen North Carolina municipalities, including two in Greater Fayetteville Business Journal’s coverage area, will receive assistance with bicycle and pedestrian plans, thanks to grants awarded recently by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The NCDOT Multimodal Planning Grant program helps North Carolina communities develop a comprehensive strategy for expanding bicycle, pedestrian and public transit facilities, as well as improve the safety of the state’s transportation network.

Both the Town of Angier and the City of Fayetteville received grants to support pedestrian plan updates.

The program and grants are paid for through state funds, as well as federal planning and research funds. NCDOT selects projects to receive grants using criteria assessing level of detail in the application, the demonstration of local need and level of support for plans and projects. This year all grant applications submitted were approved.

The planning grant initiative is sponsored by NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division and the agency’s Transportation Planning Division. So far this year, the grant program has awarded approximately $8.7 million to fund plans for 260 North Carolina municipalities and six counties.   

Within the last decade, these plans have generated about 250 projects that were submitted for funding in the State Transportation Improvement Program, a 10-year capital improvement plan that identifies state transportation projects for funding.

Plans funded are not for one specific project but represent a comprehensive strategy for expanding bicycle, pedestrian and transit opportunities. These plans address facilities, programs and policies that encourage safe walking and bicycling and transit accessibility.

More information on the Multimodal Planning Grant Program can be found by visiting the Multimodal Planning and Programming web page or by following NCDOT IMD on social media.