More than 30 rail-related projects receive funding under federal ‘Reconnecting Communities’ program

WASHINGTON — Some 33 rail-related projects are among those receiving $3.3 billion in funding under the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program announced earlier this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The program seeks to address rail lines, highways, or other transportations that create barriers within communities, improving access to daily needs such as jobs, education, and health care and fostering development and restoration. Communities in 40 states and the District of Columbia were selected for grants under three programs: Capital Construction Grants, Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants, and Planning Grants.

“While the purpose of transportation is to connect, in too many communities past infrastructure decisions have served instead to divide,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a press release announcing the grants. “Today we are proud to announce an unprecedented $3.3 billion to help 132 communities deliver better infrastructure that reconnects residents to jobs, health care, and other essentials.”

The majority of the projects address multilane highways or boulevards that have isolated neighborhoods. A complete list of the projects — which includes several involving former rail rights-of-way, which are not included below — is available here; applicants that did not receive awards are listed here.

The rail-related selections include:

Alabama

Dr. Bill Sims Hike-Bike Way, Decatur: An $18.4 million award covering the full project cost of an 8.77-mile trail connecting Old Town to the Tennessee River riverfront, creating safe walking and biking facilities and improving crossings of a highway and rail line.

Arizona

Ruby Road Bridge, Santa Cruz County: A $6.6 million award for a $16.47 million project, this would be the only bridge in the rural county near Nogales, Ariz., and the unincorporated community of Rio Rico that spans both the Potrero Creek floodplain and the Union Pacific Railroad, providing a reliable connection for emergency services and key access to Interstate 19. It would replace a 50-year-old bridge nearing the end of its design service life.

California

Rafael Meadows Safe Crossing Pathway Project, San Rafael: A $1.94 million award for an estimated $2.43 million project, it would replace a long, dangerous path to cross U.S. Route 101 with a direct route for those walking, biking, or using other non-motorized transportation to reach a Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit station, schools, parks, and other destinations.

Port of Los Angeles Rail-Pedestrian Grade Separation Bridge, Wilmington: A $5 million award for a $62.62 million project for a pedestrian bridge over BNSF and Union Pacific mainline freight tracks. The bridge, which will also cross Water Streetl and will connect to the state’s Californai Coast Trail, will also be able to accommodate emergency vehicles.

East Bay Greenway Project, Alameda County: A $30 million award for a $120.94 million project, this will construct a 10.6-mile “complete streets” facility parallel to and connecting five Bay Area Rapid Transit stations in Oakland and San Leandro, converting the adjacent roadways from auto-centric to facilities with separated pathways for walking and biking; safe locations to cross streets; lighting; greenery, and other amenities.

San Antonio Creek Trail Crossings Design, Montclair: A $750,000 award for $931,965 in design work to create crossings for two barriers along the planned San Antonio Creek Trail: a Metrolink commuter rail line, and Interstate 10.

Colorado

Reunited Denver Project, Globeville & Elyria Swansea: A $35.48 million award for a $67.9 million project to eliminate barriers to the two neighborhoods in four ways: a new mutlmodal bridge over the South Platte River; a pedestrian bridge over the BNSF Railway, Denver Rock Island Railroad, and Regional Transportation District rail lines to connect to the RTD station at Brighton Boulevard; improvements to a grade crossing at National Western Drive; and land reclamation for neighborhood purposes.

Connecticut

Stamford West Side Neighborhood Connector: A $17 million award covering the full project cost of build-out of the Mill River Greenway between Tresser Boulevard and the Metro-North rail line. A 12-foot-wide mixed-use path will help residents cross three major streets and include a new connection to the Stamford Transportation Center.

Gateway to the East End, Bridgeport: A $600,000 award for a $750,000 study for a pedestrian connection to link the city’s East End, isolated by Interstate 95, to downtown and transit including the Amtrak and Metro-North station.

MLK Community Reconnection Project, Norwalk: A $600,000 award for a $750,000 study of similar problems created by I-95 in Norwalk; the study area includes the South Norwalk Metro-North commuter rail station.

Borough of Nagatuck Eastside-Westside Connectivity and Rail Mitigation: A $652,800 award for $816,000 to allow planning of a pedestrian connection linking Naugatuck’s east and west sides, currently disconnected by the Metro-North rail line and the Naugatuck River. The initial concept calls for a 60-foot underpass under the railroad and a 183-foot bridge over the river.

Delaware

Reconnecting Georgetown: A $100,000 award covering the total cost of planning for pedestrian safety improvements at eight grade crossings of a Norfolk Southern rail line; the crossings are non-ADA compliant and lack crosswalks, sidewalks, and proper safety signage and markings.

Florida

Connect FTL, Fort Lauderdale: A $1.5 million award for $1.875 million in planning for pedestrian/bicycle underpasses at five grade crossings of the Florida East Coast/Brightline route. The number of trains on the route could increase by up to 70% under proposed Broward Commuter Rail Project, and the two crossings near planned commuter rail stations could be used by 12,000 and 10,000 residents, respectively.

Georgia

Atlanta BeltLine to Flint River Trail: A $50 million award for a $159.3 million project to build a multi-use trail on Atlanta’s Southside, divided by a series of interstate highways. The trail will provide connections to schools, hospitals, jobs, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority rail stations, and a proposed light rail route.

Hawaii

Connecting Pearl Highlands, Honolulu: A $19.1 million award for a $38.3 million project to construct a pedestrian bridge spanning the Kamehameha Highway to connect a historically disadvantaged community to the Pearl Highlands station on the newly opened Honolulu Rail Transit Skyline rail system.

Iowa

Downtown Waterloo Railyard Relocation and Crossing Improvement: A $750,000 grant covering the full study cost; for additional details, see “Waterloo, Iowa, receives federal funds …,” Trains News Wire, March 13, 2024.

Idaho

Terry First Connection, Pocatello: An $8.5 million award covering the full project cost, which seeks to mitigate barriers created by Union Pacific’s main line to reconnect three core neighborhoods. It involves redesign of the lane configuration at the Benton Street overpass; new traffic signaling; new and extended bicycle lanes; expanded and repaired sidewalks; and updated street lighting.

Illinois

Blue Line CTA Forest Park Branch Improvements, Chicago: A $111 million award covering the full project cost of track improvements between Kedzie Avenue and Pulaski Road. Work will include new track and signaling to offer increased safety and reliability.

Louisiana

Mobility Masterplan, Slidell: A $960,000 award for $1.2 million in Phase I planning to create a more interconnected infrastructure in the community divided by U.S. Route 11 and the parallel Norfolk Southern rail line served by Amtrak’s Crescent. Issues include a lack of sidewalks or safe crossings along the rail line.

Massachusetts

River Works Reimagined, Lynn: A $561,000 award covering full planning costs for a project to relocate the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s River Works Station, on the Newburyport/Rockport Line, north of its current location and make it publicly accessible. Other facets of the project will include a ADA-compliant rail crossing.

Uniting Neighborhoods and Transit Opportunities, Everett: A $1.2 million award for $1.5 million in planning to study the possibility of installing a transit hub at Sweetser Circle with an MBTA commuter rail stop, future Silver Line bus rapid transit terminal, and connections to existing bicycle facilities. The hub would address inequities created by Routes 16 and 99 and Main Street in Everett.

Bicycle Crossing of the Fitchburg Rail Line, Cambridge: A $2.4 million award for $3 million in planning and design work for an elevated and accessible pedestrian crossing of the MBTA commuter rail line. The line is a physical barrier and demonstrated safety hazard in the Rindge Avenue neighborhood.

Maryland

Twinbrook Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, Rockville: A $568,000 award for $710,000 to design the crossing of the CSX main line used by Amtrak and MARC trains; DC Metrorail’s Red Line is adjacent to the CSX route. The bridge will connect the community of Twinbrook to employment and retail areas along Rockville Pike.

Station Square Project, Aberdeen: An $800,000 award for $1 million in planning for a transit-oriented development at the Aberdeen station served by MARC and Amtrak trains, as well as bus service. Current station access is primarily through a non-ADA-compliant tunnel and bridge; planning would include ADA-compliant access.

Michigan

Grade Crossing Elimination Study, Ecorse: A $120,000 award for a $150,000 study on removal of the at-grade crossing at Visger Road and Saliotte Road, where current design is a hazard to pedestrians and drivers.

Mississippi

Connecting the Museum Trail, Jackson: A $588,000 award for $735,000 in planning costs for a proposed multi-use trail connecting cultural, economic, educational, and recreational assets in Jackson, currently segregated by legacy infrastructure including highways, arterial roadways, and rail lines.

Ohio

Evaluation of East-West Connectivity, Hamilton County: A $300,000 award for a $375,000 study of Interstate 75, and rail lines of Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and Genesee & Wyoming, and how they affect mobility in the cities of Reading and Sharonville and villages of Arlington Heights, Evendale, Lincoln Heights, and Lockland.

Pennsylvania

Susquehanna Depot Pedestrian Grade Crossing and Parking Lot, Susquehanna: A $125,389 award covering the full cost of planning for entrance into a new public park in the Borough of Susquehanna Depot, crossing an active Central New York Railroad line. The park, bounded by the rail line on one side and the Susquehanna River on the other, currently has no safe access, particularly for pedestrians.

South Carolina

Dave Lyle Boulevard Pedestrian Bridge, Rock Hill: A $10.1 million award covering the full cost of construction for a bridge crossing the boulevard and Norfolk Southern railroad tracks in downtown Rock Hill.

Downtown Mobility and Parking Plan, Fort Mill: A $160,000 award for $200,000 in planning to address transportation barriers created by the Norfolk Southern rail line that bisects downtown Fort Mill.

Virginia

Southeast Community Greenway Reconnector, Newport News: A $1 million award covering the full cost of planning a multimodal connection across Interstate 664 and CSX railroad tracks, using the 28th Street Bridge as a public green space, urban park, and connection between downtown and neighborhoods to the southeast of the interstate.

Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods, Winchester: A $1 million grant covering the full cost of planning to mitigate the barrier created by a CSX Transportation rail line running through East Wick Street, with a pedestrian bridge the preferred option.

Wyoming

Reconnect West Laramie: A $250,000 award toward $300,000 in planning to address the barrier created by Union Pacific’s railroad tracks, as well as Interstate 80 and the Laramie River which also separate the West Side neighborhood. The project will study alternatives to an existing footbridge.