One of President Biden's top priorities was to build better infrastructure. To start, he signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on November 15, 2021, that allocated funding to over 350 distinct programs across more than a dozen federal departments and agencies. One may wonder how this historic $1.2 trillion investment in roads and bridges, broadband, rail and transit, clean energy, and water will look when it appears at their doorstep. We sat down with Byron Nicholas, PP, AICP, based in New Jersey. An expert in multi-modal planning, policy, funding, and design at the regional and municipal levels to understand how the federal government is using funding programs to rectify issues that have harmed communities of color by creating barriers to neighborhood connectivity, mobility, and access. Press play to hear: 

• An overview of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the role of regional transportation planning
• An analysis of USDOT’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP) to remove, retrofit, or mitigate transportation facilities like highways or rail lines to improve quality of life 
• Reflections on BIL after the first year of investments 

Connect with Byron on social media at @blackandurban or blackandurban.com, an accessible platform for planners and forward thinkers to showcase ideas.

Thank you for listening and tune in every other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.

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RESOURCES

Guidebook to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

What Is Regional Planning? | Planetizen Planopedia

National Association of Regional Councils

Biden-Harris Administration Announces First-Ever Awards from Program to Reconnect Communities 

Reconnecting Communities FY22 Award Fact Sheets

Lord Cultural Resources

Bronx One Policy Group

What It Looks Like to Reconnect Black Communities Torn Apart by Highways

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Maps Dashboard | D2D