Biden Department launches $1 billion program to reconnect communities

The department of transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a $1 billion pilot program aimed at reconnecting communities that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure.

The department said that it could involve adapting existing infrastructure or devising better means of access under President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Birmingham, Alabama, is about to launch a new bus rapid transit service called Birmingham Xpress.

Transportation can connect us to jobs, services and loved ones, but we have also seen countless cases where infrastructure has been cut off a neighborhood or community because of how it was built, Buttigieg said in a release. Using funds from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we proudly announce the launch of Reconnecting Communities, the first dedicated federal initiative to unify neighborhoods living with the impacts of past infrastructure choices that divide them. Over five years, cities and states can apply for federal aid, and preference will be given to applications from economically disadvantaged communities.

The Reconnecting Communities pilot program may help plan efforts that advance projects to a level where they are more competitive for other sources of capital funding, because of grant programs that have previously funded projects connecting neighborhoods with job opportunities. $50 million is dedicated to planning activities for communities that may be previously in the process, based on the $195 million available from the grant program this year.

Applications for the Reconnecting Communities program are due on October 13, 2022, with awards expected to be announced early next year.

The department will launch the Thriving Communities Initiative, which will provide technical assistance and hands-on planning support for infrastructure projects serving disadvantaged communities.

The U.S. Housing and Urban Development HUD is providing complementary technical assistance as part of the program.

HUD and the Transportation Department will issue notices of funding availability in the fall.

The grants are less than the $20 billion Biden originally envisioned.