Link Detroit Project gets $10 million to improve routes for bicyclists, pedestrians

[marmar]

WASHINGTON – The federal Transportation Department on Friday officially revealed its $10-million award to improve the bike and pedestrian connections between downtown Detroit and the RiverWalk, Eastern Market, Midtown and Hamtramck.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation news release, the $10-million grant goes to the $25-million overall cost of the Link Detroit project and will also improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety by separating their routes from automobile traffic between Detroit landmarks.

The money is coming from the TIGER program. TIGER stands for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery. Earlier this week, it was revealed that the proposal for a $137-million streetcar line along Woodward Avenue would not be receiving a $25-million TIGER grant, though U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has set that amount aside for the project if the group developing it can hit certain benchmarks in the next two months.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., on Tuesday reported that the $10 million for Link Detroit was approved, calling it “a major boost to plans that will improve residents’ access to key destinations.” .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20120622/NEWS05/120622028/Link-Detroit-Project-awarded-10-million-to-improve-roadways-for-bicyclists-pedestrians?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE