WisDOT applauds federal investment to reconnect Wisconsin communities

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) commends the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for its commitment to improving mobility, safety and economic outcomes for Wisconsin residents and businesses. The USDOT announced Wednesday three grants under the federal Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN)​ program to fund construction and planning for projects in southern Wisconsin. 

“Thanks to our federal partners, we have a tremendous opportunity to reconnect neighborhoods, create safer streets and improve pedestrian and bicyclist access in ways that meet the transportation needs these communities deserve,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. 

• City of Milwaukee – $36,560,000 construction grant to connect historic and diverse communities along the 6th Street corridor from North Avenue to National Avenue. Implementing a people-centered design through this capital construction project will focus on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, transit, safety and green infrastructure to improve mobility and quality of life for residents along the project corridor.

• Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) – $2,000,000 planning grant to study design alternatives to help reconnect a south-side Milwaukee neighborhood surrounding the I-43/94 National Avenue Interchange. The study will examine traffic patterns and review freeway ramp reconfiguration to create a safer, more connected neighborhood within the project corridor.
  

• City of Madison – $1,000,000 planning grant will explore ways to revitalize South Madison’s neighborhoods by extending Perry Street over the Beltline Highway to allow vehicles, buses, pedestrians and cyclists to access the businesses located south of the highway. 

The USDOT’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) grant program is a discretionary grant program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

To improve safety, mobility and quality of life in every corner of the state, WisDOT has taken an active approach to provide communities with federal funding information. Resources include a summary guide listing open funding opportunities, a calendar, and a form to request a Letter of Support. WisDOT also created an interactive map, at wisconsindot.gov/BIL, with a dashboard to show where federal discretionary grants were awarded to Wisconsin communities, municipalities, tribes and WisDOT. 

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