State grants via slot machine gameplay will fund infrastructure, police projects in Lansdowne

Newly awarded grants, totaling about $1.1 million, will fund new infrastructure projects in Lansdowne and East Lansdowne and pay for new cruisers and a new building for local police.

The grants are funded by the Statewide Local Share Account, which houses revenues that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania gleans from authorized slot-machine gambling, according to state Rep. Gina Curry, a Democrat who represents Delaware County. Those funds can be used for various public-interest projects.

On the infrastructure side, a $450,000 grant will help the Darby Creek Joint Authority’s efforts to address capacity issues with the Darby Creek Interceptor and manage peak flows, particularly during wet weather conditions.

Another $167,000 will fund East Lansdowne Borough’s construction of 52 curb-cut ramps that are Americans with Disabilities-Act-compliant, add striping to seven crosswalks, replace sidewalk blocks and relocate signage. And Lansdowne Borough will use a $50,000 grant to begin a “streetscape and wayfinding project” that will improve pedestrian sidewalks and help people navigate the borough’s business district.

The second-largest grant, totaling $350,000, will allow the East Lansdowne Police Department to acquire and outfit a new headquarters building. And the East Lansdowne Borough will use a $122,000 grant to purchase two new police cruisers.

“I’m grateful to see this investment in our district and communities,” Curry said in a statement.