Buttigieg launches $1B pilot to reconnect racially separated neighborhoods

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg launched a $1 billion first-of-its-kind pilot program on Thursday that aims to reconnect neighborhoods that are racially separated or have been divided by road projects.

With the new “Reconnecting Communities” program, cities and states can apply for federal aid over the next five years to help reverse the harm caused by the construction of roadways that were built through lower-income neighborhoods after the 1950s. 

According to historians, during the interstate building boom of the 50s and 60s, many districts that were considered “slum” neighborhoods were destroyed or divided to make way for the highways. As a result, many minorities and low-income communities were disproportionately displaced and cut off from economic opportunities. 

The projects that could be pursued under the program include bus rapid transit lines to connect disadvantaged communities to jobs, bike lanes, and pedestrian walkways, repurposing old rail lines, and partially removing highways.  

“Transportation can connect us to jobs, services, and loved ones, but we‘ve also seen countless cases around the country where a piece of infrastructure cuts off a neighborhood or a community because of how it was built,” said Buttigieg, who was announcing the program in Birmingham, Alabama. 

“This is a forward-looking vision,” Buttigieg said. “Our focus isn’t about assigning blame. It isn’t about getting caught up in guilt. It’s about fixing a problem. It’s about mending what has been broken, especially when the damage was done with taxpayer dollars.”

Although the $1 billion funding of the project falls short of the $20 billion that President Joe Biden originally sought to get approved from Congress, it is enough to start some projects, according to officials. 

Applications for the program are due on October 13, 2022. The communities that will be chosen to be part of the program will be announced early next year. 

The department is also launching a “Thriving Communities” initiative to provide technical support for projects that could potentially help disadvantaged communities.