By Patty Montagno

Staff Writer

[email protected]

Members of the Sachse City Council are discussing a potential grant application for funding of alternative transportation projects through the 2015 Texas Department of Transportation Alternative Programs.

City Engineer Greg Peters explained that TXDOT with support from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, regularly issues a call for projects for the TAPS.

The city of Sachse is partnering with other entities including the city of Wylie to submit a request for project funding through the program.

“The TAPS provides funding for a variety of alternative transportation projects, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects,” he said. “An estimated $52 million in federal funds are anticipated to be available to fund authorized TAPS projects.”

Peters explained that the Call for Projects is limited to eligible project sponsors and projects from non-urban areas with populations of 5,000 or less and urban areas with populations of 5,001 to 200,000.

“The Wylie Independent School District has also shown an interest in participating,” he said. “The Engineering Department for Sachse is taking the lead on preparing the submittal,” he said.

The project includes an 8-foot wide pedestrian and bicycle path from the intersection of Ranch Road and Clearmeadow Lane in Sachse to FM 544 in Wylie, via Cody Lane and Woodbridge Parkway.

Peters said the project would provide pedestrian and bicycle access from Sachse to three Wylie ISD schools, including Wylie High School, Draper Intermediate School, and Cooper Junior High School.

Peters stressed that funding is not guaranteed. Projects from across the state will be reviewed, scored and selected.

“The TAPS Program provides an 80 percent funding of projects that are awarded,” he said. “The total project cost is estimated at approximately $475,000, of which approximately $230,000 would be for improvements within the Sachse city limits.”

Peters said through the 80/20 match of the TAPS Program, the city would be responsible for approximately $50,000 of the project cost if the Sachse/Wylie project is selected

“It is anticipated that the Texas Transportation Commission will make the project selections from July through September of this year,” he said. “If the project is awarded funding through the TAPS Program, staff will include the proposed city-funding for consideration by the council for inclusion in the annual update to the Capital Improvement Plan later this year and will be proposed in the FY 15-16 Budget.”