Projects to improve traffic safety in three Michigan cities receive federal grants

Projects to improve traffic safety in three cities in the state of Michigan are being funded by a federal grant.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced $66.9 million in funding from the Biden administration’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program for three Michigan cities, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Wednesday.

Detroit, Kalamazoo and Menominee are the cities set to receive the funds. The money will go toward two shared-use trails in Detroit, 3.5 miles of improved traffic routes in Kalamazoo and improvements to Menominee Harbor in the Upper Peninsula.

How the funds are being used in Detroit

In Detroit, $20.7 million is being invested in a project for the Joe Louis Greenway and Iron Bell Trail systems. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, two shared-use trails for non-motorized users will be built to improve safety. The improvements will be made to the trails on both Woodmere Street and Dequindre Street.

“The project will address safety, reduce air pollution, and improve quality of life through more affordable transportation options and aims to address historic inequities caused by transportation infrastructure,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in a description of the project.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, residents’ quality of life is expected to improve.

“Quality of life is expected to improve through more affordable transportation options due to increased active travel options, reduced dependence on cars and connectivity to existing transportation corridors.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2025.

How the funds are being used in Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo is investing $25 million to rebuild and redesign a 3.5-mile stretch of road. This project will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Five sections of road are to be rebuilt. The sections include West Michigan from Douglas to Michigan, South from Stadium to South Pitcher, Lovell from Stadium to Portage, Stadium from Lovell to Michigan and Douglas from Kalamazoo to West Michigan.

“Safety will be improved through the construction of new sidewalks, lighting, bike lanes, traffic calming measures and improved traffic flows,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said. “The improvements are aimed at reducing traffic-related air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Quality of life will be improved by providing more affordable transportation options that reduce transportation cost burdens and improve public health.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2027.

How the funds are being used in Menominee

In Menominee, $21.2 million will be invested to improve the Menominee Port.

“The project will reconstruct a deteriorating harbor wall, install approximately three rail sidings with shunting capabilities, add covered storage facilities, and purchase and install various cargo handling equipment to redevelop Menominee Harbor’s general cargo transportation terminal.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation said the project will reduce the number of heavy-duty trucks on the road, increasing traveler safety.

The project is scheduled to start in January 2026.

Further projects announced in the USA

These Michigan projects were announced along with $1.8 billion for 145 other projects across the country. Total RAISE funding now exceeds $7.2 billion for over 550 projects across the country.

Wednesday’s announcement is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to allocate funds from the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021. The announcement comes just ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

“With President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, we are funding projects across the country to make roads safer, make it easier for people to get around their communities, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and improve supply chains to keep costs low for consumers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg also said there were more than 1,000 applications for projects this year, with applications coming directly from communities across the country.

The RAISE program was known as TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) during the Obama administration. During the Trump administration, it was known as BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development). Fifteen Michigan projects won grants totaling nearly $180 million during those periods.

To view all the projects announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday, with a description of them, You can click here.