Transportation Enhancement Grant Program Could Provide Great Return on Investment

The city of Charlotte, in Dickson County, recently applied for a federally funded transportation enhancement grant for renovations to the historic downtown courthouse area. The city applied for the enhancement grant through the Tennessee Department of Transportation, but the grant is actually federally funded. USDOT allocates the funds to all 50 state departments of transportation through a formula designed by Congress. In 2011, TDOT awarded nearly $13 million in enhancement grants and $259.5 million from 1991-2010.

The USDOT Transportation Enhancement Program, along with other federal programs, is being considered for termination by the federal government due to perceived wasteful spending associated with it. However, John Hudak, a Vanderbilt University political science Ph.D. candidate, explains that the enhancement program’s true intent is to help boost economic activity at local levels.
“When individuals come to a town for a tourist stop or for a welcome center or for an information booth, they’re likely going to spend money as well,” said Hudak.

Eligible Activities through the Transportation Enhancement Program Grant Include:

• Provision of pedestrian and bicycle facilities
• Provision of pedestrian and bicycle safety and education activities
• Acquisition of scenic or historic easements and sites
• Scenic or historic highway programs including tourist and welcome centers
• Landscaping and scenic beautification
• Historic Preservation
• Rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation buildings, structures, or facilities
• Conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails
• Control and removal of outdoor advertising
• Archaeological planning and research
• Environmental mitigation of highway runoff pollution, reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality, maintain habitat connectivity
• Establishment of transportation museums

The city of Dickson has received over $2.3 million in enhancement grant funding since 2003 to restore the Hotel Halbrook (Clement Railroad Hotel Museum) and revitalize the downtown district. Charlotte also received $118,000 in 2007 to complete 1,500 feet of sidewalks with street lighting along Humphries Street between the courthouse square and elementary/middle schools. The Humphries Street sidewalk was the first phase for an overall beautification and trail system project designed to draw people to Charlotte’s rural community setting. Hudak also notes that the enhancement program targets the creation of greenways, as proposed in Charlotte’s development plan.

“In the past five years, both in the Bush and Obama administrations, most of this money has been used to increase greenways, or other sort of pedestrian foot traffic sites, that both make roads safer and pedestrian access to communities a little more appealing,”

explained Hudak. Hudak added the creation of greenways, improved pedestrian traffic avenues and revitalization projects will make a locality noticeably more appealing, which can have a direct impact on property values.

Charlotte has also added several new locally owned businesses, along with longtime community staples, that would benefit from increased traffic directed toward courthouse square.

CRT works with communities to invest in downtown revitalization and greenways. Downtown and greenway investment supports the local economy, increases the attractiveness of a community, increases property values and promotes more walkable and healthy communities. The Transportation Enhancement Grant Program is just one tool communities can use to investment in downtowns and greenways. CRT’s Quality Growth Toolbox highlights other successful programs that communities across the ten-county region have used to dramatically improve their downtowns and greenways.

Story Adapted from:
The Dickson Herald, November 23, 2011
“Charlotte revitalization part of national discussion”

*Image Courtesy of the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce