ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis program got a national shout-out Thursday when the U.S. Department of Transportation highlighted the Great Rivers Greenway as a project pushing America forward.
"Everybody in America knows, especially in St. Louis, that our communities have been separated, alienated by infrastructure projects that have destroyed neighborhoods or taken away opportunity," said Mitch Landrieu, White House Infrastructure Coordinator & Senior Advisor to the President.
The Great Rivers Greenway is working to bridge the gap.
"Brickline Greenway in particular is the vision of connecting Forest Park to the Gateway Arch National Park," said Emma Klues, Vice President of Communications and Outreach for Great Rivers Greenway, "and here in Fairground Park to Tower Grove Park and then lots of destinations in between."
Klues' team has already won one federal grant for the project. In November 2021, the Northern segment of the Brickline Greenway received a grant for $15 million from the United States Department of Transportation. She said that funding is through Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) funding.
Thursday morning, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the Reconnecting Communities Fund.
"It's called the notice of funding opportunity," explained Landrieu, "everyone gets a chance to apply, we're going to look at all the projects fairly soon and then hopefully we'll get to work."
RAISE funds are different than Reconnecting Communities funds, but Landrieu encourages organizations to apply for both.
"They're different application processes, but if you get one, it doesn't mean you can't get the other," Landrieu said.
If the Brickline Greenway gets the additional grant, they might be able to start work on each branch of the multi-year project.