UnGap the Map, a multi-year initiative to close gaps in Springfield’s trail network, has been selected for a $24.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The project was one of 148 across the United States awarded a total of $1.8 billion from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. The program was authorized $1.5 billion a year, in addition to already appropriated funds, under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The $24.8 million awarded to the City of Springfield for the UnGap the Map project will be used to fund the construction of about 3.14 miles of greenway trails, at-grade crossings, pedestrian bridges, traffic calming and green infrastructure, ADA-accessible sidewalks and dedicated bicycle paths in west Springfield neighborhoods, namely along the Jordan Creek, Wilson’s Creek and Trail of Tears greenways.
The RAISE grant can only be used for the west Springfield projects outlined in the application, though the UnGap the Map plan — one the top 10 initiatives of Springfield’s comprehensive plan, Forward SGF — encompasses a larger region.
“This award builds on the city’s success with the Grant Avenue Parkway and demonstrates our ability to leverage grant dollars to attract reinvestment in key neighborhoods,” City Manager Jason Gage said in a press release. “The project continues to implement Forward SGF by closing the gaps in the trail network and connecting people to nature.”
The planned trail improvements are primarily located in federally designated Areas of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Communities, according to the release. A large percentage of RAISE grants benefit similar communities across the nation.
“City staff analyzed and prioritized critical gaps in the greenway system based on past community engagement and to target resources in historically impoverished neighborhoods,” Mayor Ken McClure said. “The project is intended to connect these severed trails and provide a fully connected trail system from westside neighborhoods to natural green space, regional parks, economic opportunities, downtown Springfield and beyond.”
