Several state departments of transportation across the country recently provided funding for a range of local transportation projects, covering everything from pedestrian and bicycle pathways and shared street initiatives to roadway paving efforts.
[Above photo by MassDOT]
For example, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently issued $6.5 million to 28 municipalities and two Regional Transit Authorities as part of its “Shared Streets and Spaces” program.
The program provides funding to help cities and towns statewide design and implement projects to improve plazas, sidewalks, curbs, streets, bus stops, parking areas, and other public spaces in support of public health, safe mobility, and strengthened commerce.
“These grant awards will advance projects to help support safe travel for everyone, whether they are on foot, bike, transit, or in an automobile and strengthen our municipalities across the state,” noted Monica Tibbits-Nutt, MassDOT’s secretary and CEO, in a statement.
“We look forward to working with local leaders as they address the challenges and infrastructure needs in cities and towns and can help build projects which improve multimodality, accessibility, and safety,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Transportation recently issued a combined $26 million to 33 projects to improve intersections and roads in cities statewide via its City Connecting Link Improvement Program or CCLIP.
Under the CCLIP, the agency said cities must contribute up to 25 percent of the project cost based on its population, though some cities contribute significantly more. However, cities with a population under 2,500 aren’t required to provide a match, Kansas DOT noted.
“By investing with our local partners in our infrastructure framework, we are delivering economic opportunities across rural and urban parts of the state,” said Kansas DOT Secretary Calvin Reed in a statement. “These projects will address problems, so Kansans have more local transportation choices.”
Additionally, the Connecticut Department of Transportation recently awarded more than $12 million in grants to 17 towns and cities statewide for projects that will improve transportation accessibility and safety.
Those grants – issued via CTDOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program, now in its sixth round of awards – provide financial support for local infrastructure initiatives that make conditions safer, more accommodating, and equitable for pedestrians and bicyclists in urban, suburban, and rural centers.
“Our main streets and community centers serve as vital social, economic, and transportation hubs,” noted Governor Ned Lamont (D) in a statement. “Improving local infrastructure for all users in community centers is a win for our whole state and opens the door to further economic growth.”
“From sidewalks and multi-use trails to ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliant ramps, these 17 projects focus on providing safety enhancements and mobility options to schools, jobs, public transit, and local economic centers,” added Garrett Eucalitto, CTDOT’s commissioner.
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