Burns: $793,000 coming to make Loretto, Portage safer

Grants ensure equality in state funding

EBENSBURG, April 16 – Continuing his pattern of success in procuring state funds, state Rep. Frank Burns today announced $793,000 in pedestrian and vehicle safety grants for Loretto and Portage boroughs.

Burns, D-Cambria, who has made a high priority of ensuring equity for his district in all state grant programs, said this nearly $800,000 will be added to the $200 million he’s obtained for the people back home since taking office.

“No matter the program or its aims, I’m here to make sure that if it can help Cambria County, we don’t get the crumbs that fall off the table,” Burns said. “The big-city folks would suck up all the money if they could, but I’m here to make sure we never get left out.”

Burns said the two local grants awarded today through the state’s multimodal fund are:

  • $327,654 to Portage for its multi-phase streetscape program to improve pedestrian safety and connections through installing lighting, sidewalks, crosswalks and signs.
  • $465,557 to Loretto for its St. Catherine Street Improvement Project, which will improve pedestrian and vehicle flow and safety.

Burns said every dollar acquired from the state is one less dollar that needs to come from local sources to take projects off the drawing board and turn them into reality.

“Even better, it’s one less dollar that can be funneled to big cities like Philadelphia,” Burns said. “When we get that dollar here, it goes to create jobs, circulates in our economy – and in this case, makes two of our towns safer.”

Since taking office, Burns has worked to secure more than $7 million for transportation projects and related investments in Cambria County, part of his fierce advocacy for his district.

“We’ll never get our fair share if we sit back and wait for it to come to us. I’ll beat the drum every day to make sure our needs are heard, loud and clear,” Burns said.