The program is part of the 2021 infrastructure law and calls for improving access in communities disadvantaged by freeways.
A new round of federal Reconnecting Communities grant funding will jump-start some major infrastructure projects that have been lying dormant. “The program is designed to improve residents’ access to jobs, education, healthcare, food, nature and recreation, with priority given to projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.”
As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, “Eligible for the grants are projects that remove, retrofit or mitigate existing facilities and infrastructure to restore community connectivity. The funds can be used to study such projects or to fund construction.”
The grants are available to states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations as part of the 2021 infrastructure law. The law, and the Reconnecting Communities Program, are set to end in 2026.
FULL STORY: $607M in US DOT grants available for reconnecting communities
Disconnecting Communities: Measuring the Social Impacts of Freeways
Research from 50 major U.S. cities shows social connections are weakest in neighborhoods where highways are present.
Highway Removal Slowed by Outdated Policy, Lack of Committed Funding
Resistance from state transportation departments and precarious funding sources mean highway removal projects are few and far between, despite their benefits.
Bridging Divides: The Crucial Role of Collaboration in Highway Removal
Highway removal is most successful when agencies at all levels of government work closely with each other and the impacted community.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie