USDOT Issues Reconnecting Communities Grants

January 17, 2025

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently issued $544 million through its Reconnecting Communities Pilot discretionary grant program to 81 projects nationwide, nine of which are overseen by state departments of transportation.

[Above photo by Connecticut Rep. John Larson’s Office]

The agency noted in a statement that the Reconnecting Communities program – along with the Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant program – received a combined $1 billion in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, plus an additional $3 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

The state DOT projects receiving grants from the Reconnecting Communities program are:

  • The Connecticut Department of Transportation: $2 million for the City Link – Reconnecting North Hartford project.
  • The Hawaii Department of Transportation: $1.6 million for the “Reconnecting Downtown Honolulu” H-1 Cap Park Planning project.
  • The Maine Department of Transportation: $2 million for the Franklin Street Redesign Planning project in Portland.
  • The Massachusetts Department of Transportation: $43.1 million for the McGrath Boulevard Viaduct Removal and Road project in Somerville.
  • The Michigan Department of Transportation: $2 million for the I-75 Cap Design Engineering project and $800,000 for the US-131 Freeway Crossing Improvements in Grand Rapids Planning Study.
  • The New York State Department of Transportation: $640,000 for the Collar City Connections/Redesigning Hoosick St (NY 7) for Equitable Access project in the city of Troy and town of Brunswick, and $100 million for the Inner Loop North Transportation project in Rochester.
  • The Rhode Island Department of Transportation: $2 million for the “Connect Four” Bridging Providence’s Urban Core project.
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