The latest tranche of infrastructure grants is out and Atlanta has received a whopper. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the city was receiving a $16 million grant from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.
“We are enthusiastic about what this means for one of our fastest growing neighborhoods,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “By delivering over 3.1 miles of multimodal improvements in and around Westside Park, we will be able to promote more convenient transportation options for all, while creating a vibrant urban environment.”
The funds will largely go towards enhancing connectivity and safety around Westside Park, including multi-use paths, sidewalk improvements, ADA enhancements, lighting and stormwater upgrades. Westside is the city’s newest and largest park, opening in 2021 around the old Bellwood Quarry. There are already wide pathways within the park but access is limited from beyond the park boundary – such as only one current pedestrian entrance on the south side of the park. The project will ultimately deliver more than 3 miles of multimodal improvements, connecting both users and neighborhoods in the area.
“I am thrilled that the City of Atlanta has been awarded the $16 million RAISE Grant,” said Atlanta District 9 Councilmember Dustin Hillis. “The project, in partnership with the Upper Westside CID, will connect neighborhoods and greatly improve the corridor between Westside Park and Georgia Tech, increasing access and safety for all users here in Northwest Atlanta.”
The Atlanta project is actually only one of the seven Georgia RAISE grants awarded: Augusta-Richmond County received $1.7 million for updates to the Broad Street bus transfer facility; the City of Decatur received $1.8 million for a Scott Boulevard complete streets plan; the City of Fairburn received just over $1 million for safety improvements around the Fairburn CSX rail terminal; Camden County got $750,000 for a joint comprehensive transportation plan; the City of LaFayette received $6.2 million for a revitalization of 1.3 miles of Villanow Street; and, the City of Dublin was awarded $1.5 million for a multimodal and streetscape plan.
The project in Decatur will largely focus on reducing vehicle speeds on Scott Boulevard, an occasional commuter thoroughfare for getting into Atlanta but running adjacent to downtown Decatur and many residential neighborhoods and the park system of Decatur. The funding will also go towards improving transit usage along the route, part of Georgia’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. Many young residents attend the nearby Westchester Elementary School and the aim is to increase the ability for students to walk or bike to school.
The Dublin project will deliver improvements for more than 13 miles of roadway through downtown Dublin, from drainage upgrades to pedestrian facilities. The funding will help plan for active transportation corridors to allow for more pedestrian and cyclist movement through Dublin and reduce the number of crashes, as well as expand affordable transportation option for low-income residents.
For the full list of the grants and more information: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-06/RAISE%202024%20Fact%20Sheets.pdf
