Communities receive funds for transportation and land use projects

Seventeen local communities in Oregon have recently received $2.6 million in grants dedicated to transportation and land use planning projects.

The communities, including the Coquille Indian Tribe and Crook County, received the Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) grants from the TGM program. The program is a partnership between the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD).

This partnership has lasted for 22 years and serves to award grants to various communities in Oregon. The goal is to develop livable, vibrant areas where people can bike, walk, drive or take transit to any destination they choose.

There were 57 applicants for the 2015 funding cycle at TGM. The total requested amounted to $6.9 million, which is too much for the current program. Recipients include the Cities of Beaverton, Gladstone, Cornelius, Hood River, Oakland, Mosier, Redmond, Portland, Springfield and Salem. The Lincoln County Transportation Service District, Yamhill County, Crook County, Benton County, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla India Reservation, the Coquille Indian Tribe and Metro also received awards.

“Our ability to offer grants that make ‘on the ground’ changes, when and where they are important to people, is a critical piece of making the program succeed,” Jim Rue, director of the Department of Land Conservation and Development, said.