CLEVELAND — A $7 million grant has been awarded for the Cuyahoga County Veterans Memorial Bridge Connectivity Plan Project in Cleveland, according to an announcement Wednesday morning from President Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
This money is a portion of $77,697,650 coming to the state of Ohio for various projects through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant programs as part of President Biden’s “Investing in America Agenda.”
“The funding is aimed at reconnecting communities that were cut off by transportation infrastructure decades ago, leaving entire neighborhoods without direct access to opportunity, like schools, jobs, medical offices, and places of worship,” according to a press release.
Here’s how the $7 million grant for the Cleveland project was described by the official announcement:
$7,000,000 for Cuyahoga County Veterans Memorial Bridge Connectivity Plan Project in Cleveland – The project received funding to build upon previous plans with the intent of re-opening the former streetcar level of the bridge as a public thoroughfare for cyclists and pedestrians, and as a venue for events, programming, and recreation. The Veterans Memorial (Detroit-Superior) Bridge is one of two main bridges that carries a major traffic arterial over the Cuyahoga River, connecting the East and West sides of Cleveland. The current condition exposes pedestrians and cyclists to an uncomfortable and dangerous situation with the trucks hauling materials to local interstates. The project will include a Feasibility Study, followed by the preparation of an Engineering Plan.
“The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program is an important component of the Department’s commitment to equity and the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to supporting communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution, and strengthening equitable development,” according to the press release. “Restoring communities like those awarded grants today helps give everyone an equal chance to get ahead and opportunity to accessing jobs and essential services such as healthcare services, grocery stores, and places of worship.”
Here are the other Ohio projects receiving grants in this round of funding for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity program:
$300,000 for An Evaluation of East-West Connectivity in Central Hamilton County in Central Hamilton County
This project received funding to analyze transportation facilities in Central Hamilton County. Six jurisdictions comprising the Cities of Reading and Sharonville and the Villages of Arlington Heights, Evendale, Lincoln Heights, and Lockland have experienced hindered mobility and restricted connectivity for residents and businesses due to their proximity to these four transportation facilities - Interstate 75 and the Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and Genesee & Wyoming rail lines. Interstate 75 is one of the busiest freeways in the United States, while the presence of freight rail lines are a significant barrier to mobility, directly impacting residents and businesses.
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$41,900,000 for LinkUS West Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit Corridor in Columbus
The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), in collaboration with the City of Columbus, Ohio Department of Transportation, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), and numerous key stakeholders throughout the region, received for the proposed West Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. This project aims to restore community connectivity and ensure equitable access, mobility, and safety along the West Broad Street corridor in Columbus, Ohio. It will also launch a broader, comprehensive initiative to ensure regional connectivity and equitable access and development throughout Central Ohio through the comprehensive LinkUS Mobility Initiative.
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$28,497,650 for Riverfront Infrastructure Vitality and Equity Restoration in East Toledo (RIVER East Toledo) in Toledo
This project received funds to reconnect residents of Toledo, Ohio’s historic east side with the opportunities, amenities, and natural spaces of Toledo’s downtown riverfront. Deindustrialization and disinvestment – fueled by suburbanization and interstate highway construction – have made East Toledo one of the city’s most disadvantaged communities, with high poverty rates, heavy environmental burdens, and disproportionate barriers to safe transportation access. Funds from this project will include, but are not limited to, improvements such as a new multi-use path connection, intersection realignment and narrowing, ADA signal upgrades, roadway resurfacing, streetscaping, roundabout with pedestrian refuge islands, and high-visibility crosswalks.