Hi all,
Here is what is being said about freeway fighting this week. If you come across any articles, feel free to share and please let me know if you have any questions.
Next Tuesday (7/12) at 12pm ET join CNU for our On the Park Bench webinar “Freeway Fighters: Pushing Back Against Freeway Expansions.” This webinar will feature freeway fighters from Shreveport, LA, Milwaukee, WI and Southern Indiana who will discuss the growing movement opposing freeway expansions and what campaigns can learn from one another. Register now!
Save the Date: July 28, 3:30-5:00 ET join America Walks for “Organizing Your Freeway Fight: Creating a Campaign Plan.” Mike McGinn and Susan Le will share how they’ve organized and built community capacity for change, and the lessons they’ve learned that are applicable to freeway fighting. In this workshop, they will give an overview of how to develop a campaign plan to achieve your goals. In future workshops, we will take a deeper look at some of the specific elements, eg., crafting a public narrative, recruiting and coaching volunteers, identifying allies and opponents, etc.
Freeway Fighters news
Biden Administration announces first-ever funding program dedicated to reconnecting …
Mass Transit July 2, 2022
The pilot Reconnecting Communities program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help reconnect people to economic opportunities and essential services in their communities.
Buttigieg announces funding aimed at reconnecting communities divided by road projects
WBHM July 2, 2022
When Interstate 65 was built, it displaced many Black neighborhoods in Birmingham.
The DOT is investing $1 billion to address historic transportation inequities – Popular Science
Popular Science July 2, 2022
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled a new program Thursday to fund transportation projects in areas that were historically limited by infrastructure such as highways, or lacked public transportation options.
USDOT Launches $1 Billion Program to Reconnect Neighborhoods | Roads and Bridges
Roads and Bridges July 2, 2022
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has opened the application process for grants from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) program that aims to restore neighborhood links to workplaces, schools, and other resources that had been severed by old highways, railways, and other infrastructure.
Minnesota – Funding Program Reconnecting Communities – STL.News
STL.News July 2, 2022
Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation announcement to invest $1 billion in reconnecting communities across the country that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has list of projects from Louisiana to consider | Local Politics
NOLA.com July 2, 2022
Louisiana will get its share of the more than $1 trillion in infrastructure spending that President Joe Biden and Congress are sending to states, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Friday.
St. Pete to access $1B federal transportation program
St. Pete Catalyst July 2, 2022
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity on Thursday for the first-of-its-kind Reconnecting Communities pilot program established under President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
St. Pete to seek historic federal funding in hopes of ‘Reconnecting Communities’
Florida Politics July 3, 2022
The U.S. Department of Transportation is opening applications for the first-of-its-kind, $1 billion ‘Reconnecting Communities’ pilot program — and St. Petersburg is hoping to tap into the funding.
Life in the slow lane on Los Angeles’ jumble of freeways | World – The Times
The Times July 3, 2022
There are more than seven million vehicles on the roads in Los Angeles and on some days it is easy to feel as though you are stuck in a traffic jam with every single one of them.
California Senate Committee Kills Freeway Expansion Bill | Planetizen News
Planetizen July 4, 2022
“Assemblymember Cristina Garcia’s (D-Bell Gardens) bill that would have prohibited California state agencies from investing time and money into freeway expansions in low-income communities that are hard-hit by pollution and displacement, A.B. 1778, died in the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday.”
Initiative Brings Capacity Building to Booming Rural Towns | Planetizen News
Planetizen July 5, 2022
Writing in High Country News, Heather Hansman describes an initiative known as GNAR—Gateway and Natural Resource Amenities—that seeks to help small communities experiencing heavy tourism and migration manage growth effectively.
Rhode Island must wean itself off addiction to highway building – The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe July 8, 2022
For transportation and climate advocates scared for our planet’s future, there’s nothing more depressing than another email from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation proudly announcing another highway expansion.
Exclusive: Sec. Buttigieg Details $1B Reconnecting Communities Program – Bossip
Bossip July 8, 2022
An important conversation took place during the Essence Festival of Culture and it brought White House Officials center stage.
Jackson Ward residents continue to hear plans, explore ideas for historic neighborhood’s future
Richmond Free Press July 8, 2022
The latest proposal to reunite the former “Harlem of the South” was unveiled to Jackson Ward residents and government stakeholders at the Hippodrome Theater on June 29.
Higgins invites Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to visit Buffalo & ‘witness division’ caused …
Niagara Frontier Publications July 8, 2022
As the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) kicks-off a new federal grant program aimed at reconnecting divided communities, Congressman Brian Higgins suggests Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg should take the opportunity to witness first-hand how transportation decisions of the past have impacted the City of Buffalo.