Department of Transportation awards more than $9.6 million for infrastructure

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced Dec. 6 that the Department of Transportation has awarded $9,651,000 to Geauga County through the Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development Transportation Discretionary Grants program.

According to a news release, the project will construct safety modifications on roadways in Geauga County to address conflicts between motorized vehicles and non-motorized buggies.

“It is important that we improve the safety, accessibility and mobility of Ohio’s rural infrastructure,” Brown said. “I will continue to fight to make sure that every community has the support needed to maintain safe and accessible roadways.”

The modifications include creating non-motorized buggy lanes, implementing advanced motorist alert systems, installing conflict warning systems with flashing beacons and posting school zone and pedestrian warning signs on roadways.

Brown serves as ranking member on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which oversees public transit.

In March, he unveiled a new infrastructure proposal that would expand infrastructure investments through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant Program, now called the BUILD program.

BUILD Transportation grants replace the pre-existing TIGER grant program.

Fiscal year 2018 BUILD Transportation grants are for investments in surface transportation infrastructure and are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant local or regional impact, the release stated.

BUILD funding can support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation.