Mayor’s Column: Voorhees receives grants for senior bus replacement and Somerdale Road pedestrian safety enhancements
Voorhees Township has received two grants from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) totaling $625,000. Both grants were part of the 2015 Competitive Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Program.
The first grant was awarded for the Voorhees Township senior bus replacement project. This $110,000 grant is for the purchase of a new compressed natural gas (CNG) 16 passenger handicapped accessible senior citizen bus, including a wheelchair lift. This vehicle will join our existing fleet of eight CNG trash and recycling trucks and will replace our current 2002 senior bus. CNG vehicles are more environmentally friendly and produce up to 95 percent less carbon monoxide compared to gasoline and diesel. The Township continues to strive to limit our carbon footprint.
The second grant was awarded for pedestrian safety enhancements along Somerdale Road. This $515,000 grant will be used for the design and construction of pedestrian safety improvements along the southern end of Somerdale Road. The work will help ensure the safety of students and parents walking from the Three Pond area and the Voorhees Town Center to the Osage School and for residents in the Green Ridge area walking to the Voorhees Town Center. The Township Committee will continue its efforts to make Voorhees Township a pedestrian and bicycle friendly community.
Voorhees Township, with the help of our professional staff, continues to aggressively pursue grant opportunities. Since 2012, Voorhees Township has received over $3.1 million in county, state and federal grants for the improvement of the township and relief of tax dollars.
** The Voorhees Animal Orphanage will hold its 19th Annual Woofstock Festival on Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Connolly Park. The event will feature festivities for animal lovers of all ages and their leashed pets as well as appearances by the Mummers, Dr. Elizabeth Severino (Animal Communicator) and Master Chef Joseph Poon. Crafters and vendors are welcome. Microchipping will be available for $25. Admission is a $1 donation but senior citizens and children under 5 are free. For more information about Woofstock or the Animal Orphanage, visit www.theanimalorphanage.org or www.vaonj.orgwoofstock.
** The Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation will hold its 13th Annual Birthday Bash on Friday, Nov. 13 from 6:30 p.m. until midnight at Lucien’s Manor in Berlin. The Foundation furnishes Teen Lounges in hospitals to enhance the quality of life for teens with cancer and other life- threatening illnesses. Tickets are $130. For more information, call (856) 784–0615 or visit www.arvf.org.
