The latest round of federal infrastructure funding includes the largest contribution to emerge, so far, from the 2021 infrastructure bill for the removal of an urban freeway.
The Biden administration on September 15 announced $1.5 billion in competitive grant funding for $1.5 billion for 26 highway, multimodal freight, and rail projects. Several big ticket items headlining the list, including more than $127 million for the Western Hills Viaduct replacement in Cincinnati and $105 million for the state of Michigan to convert Interstate 375 to a boulevard.
The $1.5 billion is just one funding round of a planned $7.25 billion in spending for the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) competitive grant program over the next four years—a total increased by 50 percent increase by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, approved at the end of 2021.
The Interstate 375 removal project is attracting the most local and national media attention among the 26 grant winners, with coverage from the Detroit News, the Washington Post, and Center Square.
“The award is the biggest step the administration has taken toward helping to remove an aging highway, fulfilling — in one community, at least — a goal the White House set when it announced infrastructure plans early last year,” according to the article by Ian Duncan for the Washington Post.
A U.S. Department of Transportation press release notes that the INFRA funding announcement will be closely followed by announcements of funding announcements for two new grant programs: the Rural Surface Transportation Grant program (RURAL). and the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program (Mega). A new, streamlined process created by the U.S. DOT allowed applicants to submit one application for all three grant programs.
The INFRA grant awards follow on the heels of several other IIJA-fueled funding announcements, including $2.2 billion for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) competitive grant funding program, $1.66 billion for the Bus and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emission Vehicle programs, and $1 billion for the “Build Back Better Regional Challenge.”
How Locals Are Planning to Spend $2.2 Billion in RAISE Transportation Grants, Part Two
Part two of a series of post providing specific information for 164 of the 166 projects recently awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation's RAISE grant funding program.
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Winners of the 2022 American Society of Landscape Architects
The Society’s annual awards highlight projects focused on reconnecting communities to the landscape and creating healthy community spaces.
University of Florida
Town of Mills River
City of Modesto
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Smart City Expo World Congress
California High Speed Rail Authority
City of Fargo, North Dakota
City of Crystal River
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
