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USDOT’s “Reconnecting Communities” Program Can Help Right Historical Transportation Wrongs

Jul 01, 2022

Corinne Kisner, Executive Director and Janette Sadik-Khan, Chair of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of a new pilot program to reconnect communities previously divided by transportation infrastructure:

NACTO applauds the U.S. Department of Transportation’s launch of its new “Reconnecting Communities” pilot program, which offers a unique opportunity to begin to right historical wrongs perpetuated by decades of auto-centric and deeply harmful transportation policies.

Created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this $1 billion program will help reconnect communities that were divided by transportation infrastructure like highways. Funds can be used to create people-focused infrastructure that connects rather than divides residents, and enables better access to the economic opportunities and resources cities need to thrive.

NACTO is especially pleased that USDOT will prioritize projects in economically disadvantaged communities, and those focused on equity and environmental justice. Longstanding inequities in infrastructure planning continue to deepen segregation, hinder mobility, and impose a higher burden of traffic violence on low-income communities and communities of color.

Undoing that destructive legacy will require significant investment and long, hard work. The “Reconnecting Communities” program is an important step.

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About the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)

NACTO is an association of 93 major North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. The organization’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. To learn more, visit nacto.org or follow us on Twitter at @NACTO.

Contact

Billy Richling | [email protected]

For Immediate Release

July 1, 2022