The United States government has announced a huge funding pot to help improve transportation and access in some of the nation's overlooked communities.
The Department of Transportation has set aside $3.3 billion to cap highways, add new transport routes, add sidewalks and bike lanes, and construct bridges. It's said the money means "more than 130 communities in 41 states and Washington, DC, will benefit."
Among the schemes announced, communities in southside Atlanta, Georgia, that have been affected by the construction of interstates to serve Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be reconnected. This will improve access to schools, hospitals, and employment centers and link disadvantaged areas of the city.
In Alabama, a redesign of Birmingham's Black Main Street will reconnect neighborhoods that were split by the construction of Interstate 65.
In Rexburg, Idaho, communities impacted by the construction of U.S. Highway 20 will see changes implemented to improve daily life through better accessibility to town amenities.
The grant has been approved with help from money allocated for the Inflation Reduction Act, a federal law to address challenges associated with a changing climate and energy security. It has already helped Americans cut the cost of buying electric cars, allowed homeowners to make energy-saving changes to their properties, and assisted the development and growth of green businesses.
Now, the $3.3 billion will allow for better access to local services by foot, bike, and car, cutting travel times, and helping to reduce planet-warming pollution from dirty-fuel-powered vehicles.
"While the purpose of transportation is to connect, in too many communities past infrastructure decisions have served instead to divide," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "Now the Biden-Harris administration is acting to fix that. Today we are proud to announce an unprecedented $3.3 billion to help 132 communities deliver better infrastructure that reconnects residents to jobs, health care, and other essentials."
While reducing the rate of planet-warming pollution is a factor in the funding, improving the lives of disadvantaged communities is also a driving force for the investment. It is working in conjunction with the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program and Neighborhood Access and Equity program to deliver meaningful change.
"Restoring communities like those awarded grants today helps give everyone an equal chance to get ahead and opportunity to accessing jobs and essential services such as healthcare services, grocery stores, and places of worship," the Department of Transportation statement read.
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