More than 81 communities in 31 states will receive funding focused to restore access to employment, education, healthcare, recreation, and foster equitable development
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $544 million in grant awards for 81 projects through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot discretionary grant program, part of the Department’s larger announcement today of nearly $5 billion in awards to modernize America’s infrastructure thanks to the President’s Investing in America agenda.
The Reconnecting Communities program awards announced today are designed to re-establish routes between communities in urban, rural, and tribal areas that were cut off by transportation infrastructure decades ago, leaving entire neighborhoods without easy access to opportunities, employment and key resources like schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
“The fundamental purpose of transportation is to connect people and communities to one another, but many past infrastructure choices divided communities instead–and so the Biden-Harris Administration is acting to change that,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today we’re announcing more than $500 million in funding, made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that will bridge divides and bring people closer to schools, jobs, housing, and each other.”