Congresswoman Nikema Williams Delivers Federal Resources to Reconnect Neighborhoods in Georgia’s Fifth District

ATLANTA – Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) continues to secure federal funding to restore communities separated by interstate highways. 

Today, Congresswoman Williams is delivering $2,800,000.00 in federal funds through the U.S. Department of Transportation for projects to help reconnect Downtown Atlanta neighborhoods once separated by the construction of the Downtown Connector.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) said:

“This $2.8 million investment will help transform and reconnect communities in the heart of the Fighting Fifth, making our streets safer, more walkable, and more accessible for residents, workers and visitors alike. The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program came to be from the first legislation I introduced as a member of Congress–I fought for this program because we must restore our neighborhoods that have been historically overlooked and we must do so with a focus on equity. Through this funding, we are taking bold steps to heal communities and build a more equitable future for everyone–no matter their ZIP code, no matter their bank account.”

These funds come through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program, a program based on legislation authored by Congresswoman Williams and administered by the Department of Transportation during the 117th Congress. The program provides grants, on a competitive basis, to restore community connectivity by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways and other transportation facilities.

The investments will support the Reconnect Sweet Auburn and Centennial Yards projects. The Centennial Yards Complete Streets Project will receive $2,000,000.00 to enhance bicycle and pedestrian access in “The Gulch” area of Downtown Atlanta to promote safety for residents and the downtown workforce. The Reconnect Sweet Auburn Project will receive $800,000 to improve multimodal travel in the Sweet Auburn to Downtown Atlanta corridor. 

Congresswoman Williams wrote letters to the Department of Transportation in support of these projects, highlighting how interstate projects like the Downtown Connector were intentionally designed to connect white suburbs at the expense of successful Black neighborhoods. Dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap in Atlanta and across the country, the Congresswoman understands that investments in community-based organizations like Sweet Auburn Works and the Centennial Yards Complete Streets project promote economic and cultural development, ensuring longevity for historically disinvested communities.

LeJuano Varnell, Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works said:

“Sweet Auburn Works is excited to continue the work of helping the Sweet Auburn Historic District reimagine the physical impediments to its economic development and quality of life created by the construction of Atlanta’s Downtown Connector.

We started this as a collaborative effort with the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, the Atlanta Regional Commission, and countless professionals, residents and stakeholders who want to continue to see Sweet Auburn remove barriers keeping it from achieving its full potential.  We are thrilled to now include the Federal government as a trusted partner, as well.

This vital work will ensure that Atlanta is seen as an exceptional example of a place that truly believes in the synergetic relationship between the physical city and the prosperity of its people.”

In total, the Department of Transportation has awarded $3.3 billion to 132 infrastructure projects through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program and Neighborhood Equity and Access Grants Act, legislation led by Congresswoman Williams which was included in the Inflation Reduction Act.