WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, the City of Douglas was selected to receive $23,518,381 by the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund the development of a Complete Street study, which will help make streets in Douglas safer for vehicles, bikers, and pedestrians. It will also fund the design and construction of improvements to approximately 7.8-miles across approximately 10 roadways in Douglas, including pavement resurfacing, pedestrian facilities, safety counter measures, traffic circulation solutions, and improved drainage.

The $23 million grant for the City of Douglas is part of the U.S Department of Transportation’s recent $1.8 billion award announcement from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 148 projects across the country.

Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07)  submitted a letter of support for the City of Douglas and praised the announcement of the funding:

“This federal funding is a massive investment for the City of Douglas to make critical improvements to its roadway infrastructure and improve the safety and connectivity for all who use it,” said Rep. Grijalva. “I’m proud to have supported this infrastructure and transportation project and will continue to support the City of Douglas as they pursue additional federal funding opportunities to help foster equity, accessibility, and prosperity.”

The project is expected to improve the safety of motorized and non-motorized travelers through the implementation of Complete Streets solutions which will reduce fatalities and serious injuries, especially with conflicts created by trucks traversing downtown streets to and from the existing Port of Entry at the U.S./Mexico border. The project will also divert truck traffic away from the downtown area and help enhance safety and pave the way for the revitalization of the downtown into a vibrant and pedestrian oriented center. The project will also help improve the air quality in an area that has high asthma rates, as well as benefit the environment by removing contaminants from old mining landfills. The improvements will also enhance mobility for users of the city transportation system and bilingual signage will promote inclusivity.

Read more about the project and funding here.

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