A new, nearly $9.56 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant aims to help make Harbour Way and Ohio Avenue safer for all users.
The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program grant will be used to fund infrastructure changes on those roadways, “including implementation of ADA-compliant sidewalks, Class II and IV bike lanes, improved street lighting, lane reductions, and green infrastructure,” according to a statement from Rep. John Garamendi, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez and Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl.
The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program grant augments the City of Richmond’s $35 Transformative Climate Communities Grant, which includes projects to create “complete streets” in the Iron Triangle, Coronado and Santa Fe neighborhoods. Upcoming improvements aim to add bicycle and pedestrian connections to regional transportation hubs and schoreline recreational resources, and also to install stormwater management elements.
Public input sought on ‘Neighborhood Complete Streets’ project
Curl described the transportation projects that will be funded by the Reconnection Communities Pilot award as “cutting-edge.”
“The Reconnecting Communities Pilot program is an excellent example of what good governance can and should be,” added Rep. John Garamendi. “I am proud of the close coordination between the federal government and the City of Richmond that will help keep commuters safe, ensure climate resilience, and lift barriers for disadvantaged communities.”
Mayor Martinez said the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program will “create safer and more attractive trails for pedestrians and bicyclists along Harbour Way and Ohio Avenue, including youth and families attending local schools.”
The Reconnecting Communities Pilot program is a part of the Biden Administration’s Justice40, which seeks to fund local projecs that mitigate barriers to mobility and connectivity for disadvantaged communities.Â
