On March 12th, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that five projects in Georgia were granted $210 million in infrastructure funding through two programs: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Pilot Program and the Inflation Reduction Act's Neighborhood Access and Equity Program.

The aim of this funding is to reconnect communities that were separated by transportation infrastructure decades ago, resulting in entire neighborhoods being without direct access to essential facilities such as schools, jobs, medical offices, and places of worship.

In this latest round of funding for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity Program, the U.S. DOT awarded 72 Planning Grants, 52 Capital Construction grants, and 8 Regional Planning Grants across the country.

Outlined below are the projects that have been awarded funding in Georgia.

The Stitch Phase 1 Implementation
Atlanta
Award: $157,645,161
Source: Neighborhood Access and Equity Program

Phase 1 of The Stitch aims to address issues caused by the construction of Interstates I-75 and I-85 in downtown Atlanta. It plans to reconnect the community by capping the Interstate with a new 4-acre community-focused park, implementing multimodal improvements across the street network, investing in affordable housing, and rehabilitating the MARTA Civic Center station.

Reconnecting Atlanta’s Southside Communities: Atlanta BeltLine to Flint River Trail
Atlanta Regional Commission, Clayton County, and the cities of College Park, East Point, and Hapeville
Award: $50,000,000
Source: Neighborhood Access and Equity Program

This project proposes a multi-jurisdictional solution to reconnect communities divided by surface transportation facilities. The trail would bridge transportation barriers, connecting schools, hospitals, job centers, MARTA rail stations, the BeltLine, and employment centers.

I-16 Ramp Removal Project
Savannah
Award: $1,800,000
Source: Reconnecting Communities Pilot

The I-16 Ramp Removal Project plans to remove the flyover exit ramp over Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Montgomery Street and associated adjacent ramps. It aims to reconnect the historic grid street network, providing access to downtown, the Canal District, and the new arena. The removal is intended to spur neighborhood revitalization and equitable redevelopment opportunities.

Connect Athens
Athens-Clarke County
Award: $800,000
Source: Reconnecting Communities Pilot

Connect Athens will identify short and long-term recommendations for Hawthorne Avenue and Oglethorpe Avenue. These arterials are in a Persistent Poverty County and the project aims to increase safety and advance connectivity for historically disadvantaged communities.

Pleasant Hill Reconnection and Commercial Planning
Macon-Bibb County
Award: $500,000
Source: Neighborhood Access and Equity Program

Split by I-75, the historic Pleasant Hill neighborhood is seeking assistance in developing a streetscape and commercial development plan to reconnect the community to itself and with Macon’s downtown business district. The plan would focus on engagement, public infrastructure, zoning changes, and anti-displacement strategies.