When the Interstate Highway System was constructed starting in the 1950s, its path cut right through communities—decimating previously vibrant and racially diverse neighborhoods. A recently announced initiative, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, seeks to rectify those wrongs. For the first time, the federal government is set to distribute $145 million to 45 nationwide projects designed to reconnect communities cut off from opportunity by historic infrastructure decisions like the federal highway system.
“Transportation should connect, not divide, people and communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the grant opportunity. “We are proud to announce the first grantees of our Reconnecting Communities Program, which will unite neighborhoods, ensure the future is better than the past, and provide Americans with better access to jobs, health care, groceries and other essentials.”
Simultaneous to the award distribution, Buttigieg’s department announced the creation the Reconnecting Communities Institute, which will provide grant recipients and other organizations with the technical assistance they’ll need to achieve their goals.
American City & County
Written by Andy Castillo
1st March 2023