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Thirteen grants — for either studies or road, bridge and streetscape enhancement projects — have been given, according to James Cowhey, executive director of the Lancaster County Planning Commission.
Recipients of the grants are: Ephrata Borough and Ephrata Township, $35,000; Little Britain Township, $75,000; Lampeter-Strasburg School District, $20,000; East Earl Township, $250,000; Mount Joy Borough, $250,000; Sadsbury Township, $37,933; East Lampeter Township, $62,700; Mount Joy Township, $66,667; Penn Township, $11,500; Rapho Township, $116,000; Elizabethtown Borough, $250,000; East Cocalico Township $148,000; Lancaster city, $177,200.
LCPC and other county agencies reviewed 20 grant applications.
Since the program started in 1990, Cowhey said, about $25 million in grant money has helped fund $84 million in county transportation-related projects.
He said the funds are another way to strengthen transportation throughout the county.
"The way to think about transportation (in the county) is as a system, not independently," Cowhey said. "This project links different levels of transportation throughout the county."
Each township or municipality has three years to complete its project.
In other business, the commissioners adopted the Energy Efficiency Conservation Strategy as part of the county's comprehensive plan.
As part of the plan, the county is eligible for about $3.8 million in federal money to fund projects throughout the county, such as replacing incandescent traffic bulb signals with LED lights.
There are about 480 traffic signals throughout the county, half of which already have been changed to LED lights, county officials said.
About $250,000 also will be used to conduct energy audits for municipality-based operations and nonprofit agencies.
Another way funds will be used is for a "service utilization" project in which county officials will try to eliminate one-third of the server hardware running in its daily operation, according to Maggie Weidinger of the county information technology and budget services offices.
Commissioner Scott Martin applauded the planning commission's efforts.
"You did a good job in a short period of time," he said. "This will help save local tax dollars."
E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com
