On March 13, 2024, President Biden announced $3.3 billion in funding for projects in over 40 states that will reconnect and rebuild communities, particularly those that have been historically divided by transportation infrastructure and have long been overlooked and underfunded. Through the Department of Transportation’s groundbreaking Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program, these projects will increase access to health care, schools, jobs, places of worship, and other essential services. They will also enrich cities and communities by covering highways with public spaces; creating new accessible transit routes; and adding sidewalks, bridges, bike lanes, and more.
In response, Tori Goebel, National Organizer and Spokesperson for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action (YECA), released the following statement:
“YECA is thankful for President Biden’s plan to provide extensive and much-needed funding for the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program. Along with the $285 billion in transportation projects that YECA strongly supported in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program is a vital step forward in taking action to repent of and repair the legacy of racism embedded in our highway and infrastructure systems. According to the Department of Transportation, at least one million people and businesses were displaced by harmful policies in the buildout of the Federal highway system that has severed communities and limited access to essential services like groceries, jobs, transportation, and health care. It is well past time to address these sins and invest in a just, equitable future.
"YECA eagerly looks forward to the rollout of this program and continuing to ensure that the vital investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act reach the communities that need it the most and were promised the benefits of these historic efforts.”
Click here for more details about communities and cities that will benefit from this newly-announced funding.
