Reconnecting Communities Across America
The Reconnecting Communities Institute (RCI) is a center for learning to help reconnect communities that were harmed, isolated, and cut off from opportunity by transportation infrastructure. Learn more about RCI.
Helping Communities Lead the Way
Transportation infrastructure should connect people to jobs, health care, education, and other essential services. Yet, many communities lack access to these resources because of transportation infrastructure decisions of the past.
Through trainings and one-on-on assistance, RCI helps communities reclaim economic opportunity and mobility by helping them envision, plan, and implement community reconnection projects.
A Center for Learning
RCI works with grantees and prospective grantees of the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program to help plan and implement innovative community reconnection projects. Our capacity building support includes group and peer-based learning, one-on-one assistance, tool and resource creation, and more. Learn more about RCI.
Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program
The RCP Program is a first-of-its kind federal initiative providing planning and construction grant funding for projects that remove, retrofit, or mitigate transportation barriers. State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and nonprofits are eligible to apply.
RCI was established with the RCP Program to offer technical assistance to RCP grantees and potential grantees.
RCP Project Spotlight
In the 1960s, the construction of Buffalo’s Kensington Expressway left residents in the East Side community with low access to jobs, grocery stores, and banks. The New York Department of Transportation won a $55.6 million RCP grant for a new cap and tunnel that will reconnect local roads and provide a continuous link of green space for pedestrians and bicycles. It is estimated that the project will increase household wealth in the community by $76.71 million.
Explore the US DOT’s interactive Reconnecting Communities StoryMap for more stories.