Page 6 - WILMAPCO - Spring 2023
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Federal Grants Could Support
12th Street Connector, New Rail Line
The Infrastructure Investment and was signed into law on November 15, 2021 and authorized $1.2 trillion in transportation and infrastructure spending, of which approximately $76.6 billion is accessible through competitive grant programs that are open to states and municipalities, and also to Metropolitan Planning
These grants can be used to fund projects without dedicated funding, or projects with funding that has been delayed. WILMAPCO is currently working with its partners on grant submissions for two transportation projects.
12th Street Connector Project
WILMAPCOsubmittedanapplication
Infrastructure with Sustainability
direction, roundabout intersections, on-street parking, a dedicated 12-foot- wide multi-use side path separated from the roadway by a linear rain- garden stormwater management area, architectural street lighting, and other site amenities.
In recent years, the project area has been the subject of both a WILMAPCO Transportation Impro- the immediate area where the connection is planned consists of and an abandoned quarry, mixed in with operational commercial/ manufacturing sites. The conceptual reuse vision for the area is to create 12th Street Connector roadway and multi-use trail. Private development opportunities will be strategically located to capitalize on the park, yet not impede public access to the river’s edge.
redevelopment of vacant and underutilized parcels. WILMAPCO has requested $5 million to complete the National Environmental Policy the project design. Additional funds will be needed to construct the project, whether through another grant, or state and local transportation funds. More information on this project www.wilmapco. org/12thstreetconnector.
2023 to receive planning funds for
a continuation of the 12th Street
Connector project. This project will
provide a new roadway connection
between Northeast Boulevard and
the 16th Street Bridge/Pine and
Jessup Streets intersection, as well as
improvements to multiple connecting
streets and intersections as part of an
overall connectivity strategy. The new
road will facilitate mixed-use economic
improve multimodal mobility, provide
residents with waterfront access,
and enhance local quality of life
in an existing neighborhood that is
classed as both an Area of Persistent
Poverty and a designated Opportunity
Zone.Thecompletestreetsprojectbusiness district, neighborhoodtobeinDelaware—Middletown, will include one travel lane in each access to the riverfront, and the
The new street section concepts will support connectivity to the downtown
The second grant application will assist the State of Delaware, which is interested in investigating the potential of re-establishing passenger rail service on the Delmarva Peninsula, generally from Newark, DE to Salisbury, MD. The proposed passenger rail service, the Diamond State Line, could operate along existing freight lines owned by along corridors that do not currently have a rail line. Station stops in between Newark and Salisbury are envisioned
New Delmarva Passenger Rail Service
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