North Central Board approves FY25 Transportation Improvement Program

RIDGWAY – The North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission’s Board of Directors has given its stamp of approval to the FY25 Transportation Improvement Program (FY25 TIP).

The Board of Directors approved the program in the form of a resolution during Wednesday’s virtual monthly meeting. The FY25 TIP encompasses all the road, bridge, and highway construction projects in the six-county region. The program is fiscally constrained using federal and state transportation funding and was approved by members of the Rural Transportation Committee.

The FY25 TIP also contains Clearfield County’s Air Quality Report. The document will now be sent to Harrisburg for state approval, and then to the Federal Highway Administration for final approval.

“We feel confident the adoption of this plan will address the needs of transportation in our rural region,” North Central Executive Director Jim Chorney said. “This document is the culmination of a great deal of work by transportation planners in northcentral Pennsylvania and will have a tremendous impact on our residents.”

The adoption of the plan comes following the June 11 adoption by the Regional Planning Organization’s Transportation Planning Committee, which features representatives from each county.

“This plan will provide for many improvements to the transportation infrastructure in all six counties,” Community Development/Regional Planning Director Amy Kessler said. “A lot of hard work by the entire committee went into building this plan that we feel helps set the course for a prosperous future.”

In other news, the Board:

• Approved the renewal of the Environmental System Research Institute software nonprofit annual maintenance agreement for use by the Transportation Department at a cost of $10,500.
• Approved the purchase of a mini-split pump system for North Central’s Information Technology department at a cost of $7,185. The unit will replace an outdated cooling system.
• Approved on behalf of the Pennsylvania Wilds Planning Team to advertise Requests for Proposals for an update to the 2007 Pennsylvania Wilds Planning Study. The region has undergone changes since the original study was issued in 2008 and the updated planning study would address current and future needs. The study would cost $100,000 and would utilize $50,000 through the U.S. Economic Development Administration and $50,000 from North Central through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
• Approved a $350,000 loan for Form Fast Powdered Material Technologies in Ridgway at a 4-percent interest rate for 15 years to purchase real estate. The manufacturer will see $250,000 in funding through the U.S.D.A. and $150,000 through the EDA CARES Act revolving loan funds, in addition to $450,000 in private financing and an additional $125,000 from the Ridgway Industrial Development Corporation.
• Approved a proposal from Atlas Community Studios for developing a microloan program for North Central at a cost of $19,650.

The Board of Directors will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 24 in a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting at the North Central offices, located at 49 Ridgmont Dr., Ridgway, PA.