Baltimore City Pursues Federal Reconnecting Communities Grant to Address Inequities of the “Highway to Nowhere” in West Baltimore.
BALTIMORE, MD (August 4, 2022) —The Reconnecting Communities Grant Program is a new opportunity for the City of Baltimore to address the longstanding issues of inequity, safety, accessibility, and community cohesion for West Baltimore. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) is leading the grant pursuit in partnership with the Baltimore City Department of Planning and Maryland Transit Administration. These agencies will be pursuing Federal grant money to conduct a feasibility study for highway removal and redevelopment opportunities along US 40 from Greene Street to the West Baltimore MARC Station, the area also known as the “Highway to Nowhere”. When this highway was first built nearly 50 years ago, 16 continuous blocks were demolished resulting in the removal of 971 homes, 62 businesses, subsequently displacing approximately 1,500 residents, many of whom were African American. The West Baltimore Community is long overdue for investment that corrects the wrongdoings of the past with new community-oriented development that supports economic growth and quality of life.
“We understand the deep harm inflicted upon our communities in West Baltimore by decades of failed policies and are actively working to improve the quality of life for our residents,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “The Highway to Nowhere has long stood as a symbol of neglect and disinvestment in West Baltimore and we look forward to transforming this space into an icon of Baltimore’s renaissance.”
Multiple planning studies have already proposed a new vision for this area, however, none of these studies have conducted a feasibility analysis that can identify specific investment needs. The funding program targeted for this study is through the new Reconnecting Communities pilot program established in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This is a new competitive grant program dedicated to removing barriers and improving connectivity in communities impacted by a transportation facility, and this program gives priority selection to projects within disadvantaged communities.
“If Baltimore City DOT and our partners are successful in winning the USDOT’s Reconnecting Communities grant, we will work with community stakeholders to re-envision the community lost and lift up ideas for neighborhood enhancements that are forward-thinking and inclusive of previous and future generations of West Baltimore residents,” said Director Sharkey of BCDOT.
“For too long the Highway to Nowhere in West Baltimore has divided our communities and stood as a barrier to growth and opportunity. That’s why I authored a proposal to help re-connect neighborhoods that had been split apart by these earlier federal projects and why I fought to create a grant program in the infrastructure modernization law to do just that. I’m glad to see Baltimore lay out a plan to apply for these funds. I’ll be doing everything in my power to support Baltimore’s request and bring these federal dollars to West Baltimore to tear down the Highway to Nowhere and invest in the future of our communities,” said Senator Van Hollen.
This grant would facilitate a planning study to assess existing conditions, opportunities, and constraints including constructability, multimodal traffic circulation, market demand, and project financing. The planning study would also establish a robust public engagement process to refine the overall vision and goals and establish performance measures for selecting a preferred concept that can be advanced into design and construction.
Submit your experience with the highway to nowhere to the storyboard and learn more about how you can engage with this process at: Reconnecting Communities in West Baltimore | Streets of Baltimore
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