Prince George’s recently received a $25 million grant from USDOT’s RAISE program to help enhance the county’s trail network.
Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded a $25 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to Prince George’s County and a regional partnership investing in trails. The grant, which was submitted on behalf of the Prince George’s County Department of Parks & Recreation, Montgomery Parks, and the District Department of Transportation, will drive massive investments in the regional paved trail network across underserved communities in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Washington, D.C.
The funding will go toward building new trails within Prince George’s County, which includes the Central Avenue Connector Trail (CACT), a key component of our smart growth vision along the Blue Line Corridor. This development will bring needed connectivity to help ensure the surrounding areas are more walkable and bikeable. The CACT will begin west of the Capitol Heights Metro Station, running through a combination of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) right-of-way, neighborhood streets, and existing and planned trail segments before ending at the Downtown Largo Metro Station, with connections to the Addison Road-Seat Pleasant and Morgan Boulevard Metro Stations along the route.
Overall, the $25 million in RAISE funding will accelerate more than $70 million in regional projects that help build the Central Avenue Connector Trail, Suitland Parkway Trail, and Prince George’s Connector, complete the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, and rehabilitate Sligo Creek Trail and Northwest Branch Trail. These regional projects will enhance both recreational and economic opportunities in the region, provide non-motorized commuting options to the 53,000 workers that are within half a mile of the trails, and improve trail access for nearly 300,000 residents.
