Reconnecting Communities Divided by Highways
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced funding for the first set of projects under a new program that will help communities repair the damage done by federal highways.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Transportation announced funding for the first set of projects under a new program that will help communities repair the damage done by federal highway projects. The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law provided this funding to help these disadvantaged communities reconnect and rebuild. This initial support is going to 45 cities around the country.
The following is a statement from Deron Lovaas, a senior advocate for transportation at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“For decades, federally funded highways have been rammed through cities and towns, tearing Black and brown neighborhoods apart. The Biden administration is now taking a historic step to help communities from Buffalo to Tampa repair and rebuild from the damage of these racist projects.
“These grants are a good start toward building thriving, resilient cities with affordable housing and the right transportation options. But this is also just a start. The Department of Transportation received requests for 10 times the amount of funding it is providing today, and we will be working with the department to get that support out to communities as soon as possible.
“In addition, the Federal Highway Administration needs to make sure it’s not repeating the mistakes of the past with new highway projects.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.