Communities across North Carolina are being invited to submit applications to the N.C. Department of Transportation for the 2019 Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative.

The program provides funding for towns and counties  to develop comprehensive bicycle or pedestrian plans, according to Angela Walsh, director of the Albemarle Rural Planning Organization based in Hertford.

Communities with populations of less than 10,000 can also apply to develop combined bicycle and pedestrian plans.

Communities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants may apply for a project acceleration plan – an abbreviated plan primarily focusing on priority project identification and implementation.

Counties with a population of less than 50,000 are also eligible to apply for a bicycle or pedestrian plan.

The deadline for electronic applications is Nov. 2. Award recipients will be notified by February 2019.

Proposals are divided and judged in geographical groups to help establish equitable distribution of funding across the state. The selected recipients commonly incorporate a diverse mix of municipalities from large cities to small towns.

Plans funded are not for one specific project, but represent a comprehensive strategy for expanding bicycle and pedestrian opportunities within a given municipality.

The plans may address facilities, programs, policies and design guidelines that encourage safe walking and bicycling.

This program is sponsored by the department’s Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation and the Transportation Planning Branch. Since 2004, approximately $5.5 million has been awarded through this program to 190 municipalities and three counties across the state.

For more information on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative, contact Bryan Lopez at 919-707-2606 or balopez@ncdot.gov.