Communities in Antigonish and Pictou counties have an opportunity to make more sustainable, active and accessible transportation choices through the latest round of the Nova Scotia Moves program.
Through Nova Scotia Moves, the province offers grants of up to $200,000 to groups supporting sustainable transportation at the local level, including municipalities, band councils, community benefit organizations and social enterprises.
Three successful applicants from Antigonish and Pictou counties were awarded grants in this round, totalling $109,084.
“Nova Scotia Moves provides financial support to community-based or regional projects in Nova Scotia that help further the goals of the province’s Sustainable Transportation Strategy,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Maurice Smith, on behalf of Energy Minister Charlie Parker. “I’d like to extend my congratulations to the applicants, you are making your communities proud.”
The Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre, a partner of the Antigonish Community Transit Project and administers the funds, was awarded $74,084 to study and pilot a new innovative transit service in Antigonish. The Pictou County Trails Association was awarded $20,000 to further develop an active transportation trail from Lyons Brook to the Colchester County line. The Town of Antigonish was awarded $15,000 to develop an active transportation plan.
Across the province, 37 successful applications were awarded funding during the latest round, totalling $1.4 million.
This round’s applicants are diverse and address many sustainable transportation issues including active transportation, public and community transit, land use planning, efficient vehicles and public engagement.
“It’s clear the people of the Antigonish-Pictou region want better transportation choices that, over the long term, are healthier and will help protect and preserve the environment,” said Mr. Smith.
The program helps Nova Scotians drive less distance, move more actively and efficiently, use cleaner energy, access a wider range of sustainable transportation options and engage communities around sustainable transportation issues.
The province consulted with municipalities, environmental organizations and transit-oriented community groups in designing this program to ensure it responds to the needs of those doing work at the ground level.
In the 2012-13 pilot round, the province awarded over $900,000 to projects developing ideas from active transportation routes to online information services. Twenty-eight grants were awarded and are now under way.
For more information, visit http://novascotia.ca/sustainabletransportation/.
Source: Release