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Connolly Announces U.S. Department of Transportation $800,000 Grant for Sidewalks in Vienna
Aug 2 2012The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has awarded an $800,000 grant to install sidewalks to provide better access from residential neighborhoods to the downtown area of the Town of Vienna, Congressman Gerry Connolly said today.
“These improvements are of particular importance because Maple Avenue experiences severe congestion on a daily basis, and any pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements will be well utilized and relieve congestion and auto pollution,” Connolly said.
Connolly made the request for the federal transportation funding in a December 2011 letter to Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez at the urging of Town of Vienna Mayor Jane Seeman.
The federal funding, under DOT’s Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program, will be used to construct sidewalks in the first blocks of side streets off Maple Avenue (Rt. 123), Connolly said.
The project aims to provide safe pedestrian and bicycling routes from residential neighborhoods to shops, restaurants and other businesses in the town’s commercial corridor. Along with safe passage, the grant’s goal is to reduce auto use and related pollution, Connolly said. The project will close missing links in the town’s pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
In his December 2011 letter requesting the federal funding, Connolly pointed out, “Vienna is one of the older towns in Fairfax County and many of its roads were built prior to modern requirements for sidewalks. As a result, it is unsafe and inconvenient for individuals to walk to Maple Avenue from residential neighborhoods just a few blocks away due to a lack of pedestrian and bicycle improvements.”
In her December 2011 letter to Connolly, Mayor Seeman noted, “In traffic-choked Northern Virginia, Vienna is in the enviable position of influencing citizens’ decisions not to travel by automobile by providing a network of public sidewalks along our roadways.”
“I’m glad we were able to secure this needed funding for a very worthwhile project that will improve the quality of life for Vienna residents,” Connolly said.
Copies of the Connolly letter to DOT and Mayor Seeman’s letter to Connolly below:
Copies of the Connolly letter to DOT and Mayor Seeman’s letter to Connolly are attached The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has awarded an $800,000 grant to install sidewalks to provide better access from residential neighborhoods to the downtown area of the Town of Vienna, Congressman Gerry Connolly said today.
“These improvements are of particular importance because Maple Avenue experiences severe congestion on a daily basis, and any pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements will be well utilized and relieve congestion and auto pollution,” Connolly said.
Connolly made the request for the federal transportation funding in a December 2011 letter to Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez at the urging of Town of Vienna Mayor Jane Seeman.
The federal funding, under DOT’s Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program, will be used to construct sidewalks in the first blocks of side streets off Maple Avenue (Rt. 123), Connolly said.
The project aims to provide safe pedestrian and bicycling routes from residential neighborhoods to shops, restaurants and other businesses in the town’s commercial corridor. Along with safe passage, the grant’s goal is to reduce auto use and related pollution, Connolly said. The project will close missing links in the town’s pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
In his December 2011 letter requesting the federal funding, Connolly pointed out, “Vienna is one of the older towns in Fairfax County and many of its roads were built prior to modern requirements for sidewalks. As a result, it is unsafe and inconvenient for individuals to walk to Maple Avenue from residential neighborhoods just a few blocks away due to a lack of pedestrian and bicycle improvements.”
In her December 2011 letter to Connolly, Mayor Seeman noted, “In traffic-choked Northern Virginia, Vienna is in the enviable position of influencing citizens’ decisions not to travel by automobile by providing a network of public sidewalks along our roadways.”
“I’m glad we were able to secure this needed funding for a very worthwhile project that will improve the quality of life for Vienna residents,” Connolly said.
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Copies of the Connolly letter to DOT and Mayor Seeman’s letter to Connolly are attached