Montgomery County offers municipalities first glimpse at transportation grant program

NORRISTOWN — Area municipalities could soon receive grant funding for needed transportation-related infrastructure improvements.

Matt Edmond, Montgomery County assistant director of transportation and long-range planning, and Matt Popek, transportation planning assistant manager, addressed county commissioners during Thursday’s board meeting to provide an update for the 2023 County Transportation Grant Program.

Transportation program funds are obtained by way of revenues from the $5 vehicle registration fees, according to Edmond, of which $1 million is designated for specific use from the county capital budget.

“It helps us to reinvest some of the transportation investment back into the municipal pot,” Edmond said.

One-third of Montgomery County municipalities “contain no county-owned roads or bridges,” according to Edmond, who added that local boroughs and townships possess approximately 330 bridges, 1,150 traffic signals and 2,700 miles of roads.

While the application window for the sixth annual initiative will not begin until June 1, Edmond and Popek aimed to allow those interested ample time to ask questions and gather needed materials when it comes time to apply.

Municipalities are eligible to apply for construction-related projects, but Popek noted that some public-private partnerships could be considered.

Grant focus areas

When noting some differences from years past, Edmond said focus areas are expected to surround roads, bridges and signals. Organizers stressed “including equity into (the) project impact” with a goal of awarding fewer grants of larger amounts.

Of the $1 million allocated, participants can receive a maximum of $500,000, according to Popek. He clarified in his presentation that there is a “local match” component that requires selected applicants to contribute 20 percent for the first $200,000 of county transportation funds, and 50 percent for anything more than $200,000.

There’s been $5.01 million distributed to fund 42 projects in 28 municipalities since the program’s inception. Past initiatives have included pedestrian improvements, traffic signal upgrades, new bridges, and solutions to congestion relief, according to Popek.

Of those awarded, officials clarified 18 have been completed and another five are under construction.

Following the July 29 deadline, a 15-member selection committee made up of planning commission members, county staff, and representatives from the county’s transportation authority will select projects in August and September. Recipients will be notified, and grants will be awarded in November.

A webinar is scheduled for 11 a.m. on April 19. Visit montcopa.org/countytransportationprogram for more information.

$6.87M in contracts

In other business, Montgomery County commissioners unanimously authorized a series of contracts totaling more than $6.87 million. The 21-item package featured agreements related to the county’s assets and infrastructure, commissioners, information and technology solutions, and public safety departments.

Of note, a $2.13 million six-year agreement with IT Federal Sales LLC, of Windham, New Hampshire, covered software services related to “approximately 6,000 miles of public right-of-way, building and street level imagery in Montgomery County.”

The federal contract, made available through U.S. General Services Administration, amounts to $356,060 per year and stipulates implementation, services and support for the imaging software.

Another $1.68 million was allocated to fix a county bridge in Lower Frederick Township. Loftus Construction Inc., of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, was endorsed by the county’s assets and infrastructure department to conduct work on County Bridge No. 10, which is situated over Swamp Creek along Old Gravel Pike.

A $1.2 million agreement with National Medical Services, of Willow Grove, for drug testing and forensic toxicology services for the Montgomery County District Attorney and Coroner’s offices was also renewed, Thursday. The 2023 term was the third and final remaining available in the existing contract.

Following Gov. Josh Shapiro’s visit to the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Operations Center last week, county officials authorized a roughly $72,008 agreement with Intrado Life & Safety Solutions Corporation, of Omaha, Nebraska, to upgrade its 911 phone system.

The upgrade would allow for “compatibility with Next-Generation 911 (NG911) call delivery as per PA State compliance,” the contract states.

Additionally, the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts will host a resource fair on April 14 for area residents in need of expungement and other wellness services. The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at the county’s Human Services Center, 1430 DeKalb St., Norristown.

The next Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on April 20 on the eighth floor of One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede St., Norristown. Those interested in attending the meeting can also do so virtually. Visit montcopa.org for more information.