DENVER – Cities and towns working to begin or expand their efforts to promote public health during the COVID crisis have been awarded the initial six grants through the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Revitalizing Main Streets program. 

The $4.1 million initiative is providing financial assistance to communities seeking to make creative modifications to state roadways or other public spaces as a way of promoting social distancing and economic activity.  

Silt's $32,000 CDOT grant is aimed at improving two sidewalk segments connecting residential areas to downtown and improve the walking spaces surrounding a senior living facility.  The Town will contribute about $5,000 to the project that will replace a crumbling sidewalk on the east side of 7th Street from Grand to the Cactus Valley irrigation ditch and to replace and widen the sidewalk in the first block of 7th in front of Silt Senior Housing.  Both projects are seen as ways to provide more appropriate social distancing for pedestrians headed to and from our downtown businesses.

Aspen, Alamosa, Littleton, Frisco and Oak Creek also received grants in this first round.  

"In the applications received thus far, we have seen creative examples ranging from expanding downtown business capacity to encouraging multi-model access to a park in a small, rural community," said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. "The program has additional capacity, so we encourage localities to take a look at other cities' solutions and explore how these funds could benefit their own community."

This initiative is supporting the Can Do Community Challenge, as part of the Can Do Colorado campaign.

Hats off to Public Works Director Trey Fonner and Community Development Director Janet Aluise for their efforts at collaborating to write the grant application!  

More information about the Can Do Colorado campaign is available at: https://www.CanDoColorado.org.