Your SEDA-COG MPO News & Updates | | |
Welcome to the fall edition of Pathways, a newsletter covering activities related to the SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The SEDA-COG MPO is the official transportation planning organization for eight central Pennsylvania counties: Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union.
We hope you enjoy our newsletter! Stay tuned for future editions on a quarterly basis.
| | Upcoming Meetings & Events | |
Below are upcoming transportation meetings and events being held in the region. Some meetings are conducted virtually or as hybrid meetings. MPO board meetings are hybrid meetings that enable in-person or virtual participation; meeting recordings are posted on the SEDA-COG YouTube channel. PennDOT LTAP offers in-person classes, along with a number of virtual classes and virtual drop-in sessions.
Oct. 27, 2026 – Active Transportation Plan Listening Session (Bloomsburg)
Oct. 27, 2026 – Active Transportation Plan Listening Session (Lewisburg)
Oct. 28, 2026 – SEDA-COG Board of Directors Meeting
Oct. 29, 2026 – Active Transportation Plan Listening Session (Lewistown)
Nov. 12, 2026 – Active Transportation Plan Listening Session (Lock Haven)
Nov. 18, 2026 – Middle Susquehanna Active Transportation Committee Meeting
Nov. 20, 2026 – SEDA-COG MPO Meeting
Dec. 9, 2026 – SEDA-COG Board of Directors Meeting
We will post updated meeting information on our website. For more information, or for links to participate in virtual meetings, contact the SEDA-COG Transportation Planning staff. SEDA-COG MPO meeting agendas, minutes, and recordings can be found here.
| | | Active Transportation Listening Sessions Are Coming Up Soon | |
The SEDA-COG MPO is updating its Active Transportation Plan. As part of the plan's development, the MPO has gathered public input through an online survey. Four listening sessions have been scheduled to hear from area stakeholders about their experiences, challenges, project priorities, and recommendations for safer, more connected active transportation travel options. The same information and discussion topics will be presented at each meeting by the MPO and its Michael Baker International consultants, so attend the session shown on the above graphic that fits you best.
To learn more about the Active Transportation Plan update and other public input opportunities, click here.
| | Community Conservation Partnerships Program Annual Grant Workshop | |
The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) will hold a virtual workshop designed to help sponsors develop competitive project grant applications for the 2027 Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) round. The workshop will occur on Nov. 5 from 9:00 am to noon. The workshop is especially suited for municipal officials, consultants, board members, trail managers, land trust staff, and park and recreation professionals. The 2027 grant round should open in January and close in April.
The 2026 C2P2 grant awards were announced on Oct. 7 and can be found here in case you're looking for inspiration.
| | | 2027-2030 Transportation Improvement Program | | 2027-2030 Transportation Program Now In Effect | |
The SEDA-COG MPO adopted the region's 2027-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) on Jun. 12, 2026. This TIP's priority project list includes 270 highway and bridge projects valued at nearly $505 million that are expected to be undertaken over the next four years. The adoption came after months of extensive public outreach and coordination between state, regional, and local stakeholders. The TIP covers a four-year period, is fiscally constrained, and is updated every two years. The 2027 TIP took effect on Oct. 1, 2026.
On a statewide level, Pennsylvania's State Transportation Commission (STC) adopted the 2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and Twelve Year Program (TYP) on Aug. 5, 2026. The 2027 STIP can be found here and includes $29.4 billion ($17 billion for Highway/Bridge and $12.4 billion for Transit) in federal, state, local and private resources over the four-year period. The SEDA-COG MPO's TIP is incorporated into the Statewide TIP. After STC approval, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration issued joint approval and a federal planning finding for the 2027-2030 STIP and all incorporated TIPs on Sept. 28, 2026.
| | 2027-2029 Unified Planning Work Program | | 2027-2029 UPWP Being Finalized This Fall | |
As the designated MPO for an eight-county region, the SEDA-COG MPO must create and publish a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) that outlines the transportation and regional planning projects for the MPO to undertake in a fiscal year. The UPWP identifies the planning priorities and activities to be carried out, including key deliverables, who will perform the work, time frames for completing the work, the cost of the work, and the source(s) of funds. In Pennsylvania, UPWPs are developed as 2-year programs. The UPWP addresses the key regional transportation and land use issues facing the region and may be modified to respond to emerging priority issues or special needs for transportation safety, mobility, and accessibility.
The FY 2027-2029 SEDA-COG UPWP outlines all of the federally-funded planning projects and other planning projects to be administered by SEDA-COG for the region from July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2029. A preliminary draft of the FY 27-29 SEDA-COG UPWP was reviewed at the Aug. 7 MPO meeting and a revised UPWP was reviewed at the Oct. 9 MPO meeting. Close coordination has occurred with state, local, and federal officials to review the UPWP. The final version is planned to be adopted at the Nov. 20 MPO meeting.
| | Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding | | | | Federal Transportation Funding Resources | |
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) reauthorized surface transportation programs through Fiscal Year 2026. In doing so, the BIL devotes $550 billion through 2026 for federal investment in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transit, water infrastructure, resilience, and broadband. The Federal Highway Administration has a comprehensive BIL resource website available here.
Federal transportation discretionary grant programs currently open for applications include:
A variety of recent funding resources have been developed for local governments and other BIL program applicants:
We will continue to monitor guidance related to the BIL and report updates in this newsletter.
On May 17, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released the text for the next five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, titled the BUILD America 250 Act, which it approved on May 22. The U.S. Senate has not yet released its own proposal.
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PennDOT is accepting applications for funding through its Multimodal Transportation Fund until Oct. 30, 2026. Funds may be used for the development, rehabilitation and enhancement of transportation assets to existing communities, streetscape, lighting, sidewalk enhancement, pedestrian safety, connectivity of transportation assets and transit-oriented development. Municipalities, school districts, businesses, economic development organizations, public transportation agencies, ports, and rail freight entities are eligible to apply.
Grants are available for projects with a total cost of $100,000 or more but shall not exceed $3,000,000 for any project. Grant awards are likely for summer 2027. During the last round, PennDOT awarded $54 million to 50 transportation projects across Pennsylvania. More information can be found here.
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The PennDOT Municipal Resources team is available to provide free assistance to municipalities looking for transportation and land use training or support with planning, developing, or improving transportation grant applications. They offer regular drop-in webinars on key topics, such as "Decoding Grant Success: A Guide to Understanding Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) Grant Program, Requirements, & Reimbursements" that will be held on Nov. 12.
Click here to request free PennDOT Municipal Resources assistance. Any municipal staff member or government official is eligible to request free planning assistance or personalized training.
Visit the PennDOT Municipal Resources page for additional training, webinar, tech sheet, newsletter, and other information. If you're not receiving the newsletters, click here to register for them.
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The PA Department of Community and Economic Development is accepting applications for funding through the Local Share Account Statewide Program until Nov. 30, 2026. Funding can be used for projects in the public interest that improve the quality of life in the community. Eligible projects include acquisition or demolition, purchase of vehicles, machinery and/or equipment, construction including renovation or rehabilitation, planning, and infrastructure projects.
Eligible projects must be owned and maintained by an eligible applicant (county, municipality, economic development agency, etc.) or a Pennsylvania nonprofit entity. Grants are available for projects with a total cost of $25,000 or more but shall not exceed $1,000,000 for any project. More information can be found on the DCED website here. All previously approved projects can be found here.
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PennDOT is now directing investments to build Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations as part of the Community Charging phase of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, strengthening the state’s role as the national leader in the NEVI program. Through the Community Charging funding rounds, over $100 million in federal funding is being directed to build public EV charging stations in PA communities.
Community Charging funding is being made available by region. The SEDA-COG MPO is part of the Central Region, from which applications will be accepted until Mar. 12, 2027. Approximately $3 million is targeted for investment in the SEDA-COG MPO area. All publicly available locations are eligible. Grant awards for the Central Region are anticipated in June 2027. PennDOT has released a survey for interested organizations to connect with electric vehicle charging station builders and operators to partner with on submissions.
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SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.
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