Meanwhile, Yay Taxes! Biden-Harris Admin awards $15.5 mil in for 3 MS Projects

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The U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced on Thursday that the Biden-Harris Administration has awarded $15.5 million to support three projects in Mississippi from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The RAISE program is one of several ways communities can secure funding for projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s competitive grant programs. The press release says that the support will contribute to projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation to make transportation systems “safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable.”

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According to the release, this year’s total allocations nationwide include more than $2.2 billion thanks to the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an additional $7.5 billion over five years for the program to help meet the strong demand to help projects get moving across the country. Projects were evaluated on several criteria, including safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness and opportunity, partnership and collaboration, innovation, state of good repair, and mobility and community connectivity.

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The following three Mississippi projects will benefit from the RAISE award:

Yazoo City Main Street Revitalization Project – Yazoo City will receive $12.6 million for the construction of a train station, the development of a stormwater park to capture and absorb excessive stormwater and flooding, and Complete Streets redevelopment that will include bike lanes, sidewalks, lighting, broadband infrastructure, and stormwater management along Main Street.?The project will increase transportation options with rail, biking, and walking. It will address safety concerns by creating Complete Streets upgrades along the downtown corridor, as well as increase accessibility for travelers by providing active, alternative transportation options to reach the downtown area. These improvements will help revitalize the city through greater connectivity to downtown businesses, tourism, and other essential destinations.

Tupelo RAIL Improvements Program (TRIP) Planning – The City of Tupelo will receive $1.4 million for a planning project that involves planning and engineering for a highway overpass at Eason Boulevard and Kansas City Southern Crossing; move the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Switching Operations away from the intersection at Main Street and Gloster Street, and develop two separate Quiet Zones along the BNSF Line.?By upgrading at-grade crossings, the project will decrease traffic congestion and reduce accidents and injuries in the project area. Reducing congestion will facilitate timely access for emergency vehicles and will also help reduce traffic-related air pollution and emissions. The project incorporates partnerships with state, local, and regional entities.

Tanglefoot Trail Extension – The City of Ripley will receive $1.4 million to fund the planning phase activities for an expansion of the existing 44-mile Tanglefoot Trail by an additional approximately 20 miles north of New Albany to Ripley. The extension, a rail-with-trail in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and about 20 miles east of Tupelo, MS, would run next to the rail line and Highway 15, and pass through the Town of Blue Mountain, home of Blue Mountain College.?The project will provide non-vehicular, affordable, transportation access to several destinations throughout the region, particularly those related to tourism. This project will encourage active transportation options and provide community connectivity?while helping to improve the quality of life and increase economic activity in the community.

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