Twin Cities gets $5 million HUD grant for transit corridor planning
Written by jrood
The Twin Cities has been awarded a $5 million planning grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. With the help of local matching funds, the grant will support planning along the region's growing network of transit corridors. The grant is part of HUD's $100 million Sustainable Communities Initiative to build on existing regional planning efforts to advance multi-modal transportation choices and promote affordable housing with access to jobs and housing, transit- and pedestrian-friendly development, environmental preservation and energy efficiency. In a nutshell, planning that promotes sustainable, vibrant and healthy communities. While details of implementation will be fleshed out more fully now that the grant award is official, the application calls for vigorous public involvement in creating corridor-wide plans and strategies for optimal development along five major corridors, including Southwest LRT, Bottineau, Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit, Northstar Commuter Rail and the Gateway Corridor (I-94 East), using "beyond the rail" planning of Central Corridor LRT as a model.
