ATLANTA — Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams announced Wednesday that she’d secured $2.8 million in federal funding to help projects aimed at reconnecting parts of Downtown Atlanta.
The funds come from the U.S. Department of Transportation and are intended to help reconnect Atlanta neighborhoods that were once separated by the construction of the Downtown Connector, Williams’ office said.
In a statement on the funds, Williams said the investment “will help transform and reconnect communities in the heart of the Fighting Fifth,” a name for Georgia’s Fifth District, which Williams represents.
She said when the projects are complete, they’ll help make “our streets safer, more walkable, and more accessible for residents, workers and visitors alike. The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program came to be from the first legislation I introduced as a member of Congress--I fought for this program because we must restore our neighborhoods that have been historically overlooked and we must do so with a focus on equity. Through this funding, we are taking bold steps to heal communities and build a more equitable future for everyone--no matter their ZIP code, no matter their bank account.”
As far as where the funds are going, Williams’ office said the investments will put $2 million into the Reconnect Sweet Auburn and Centennial Yards projects, with the Centennial Yards Complete Streets Project getting funds to enhance bicycle and pedestrian access in “The Gulch.”
The remaining $800,000 announced will be given to the Reconnect Sweet Auburn Project to improve multimodal travel from Sweet Auburn to Downtown Atlanta.
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