WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey, along with Representative Summer Lee, announced this week that Allegheny County will receive $2 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) grant program. The funding will support the Penn Avenue Cap Connector Project, a vital initiative aimed at bridging economic gaps within Pittsburgh communities.
The project seeks to connect economically disadvantaged communities in Pittsburgh to essential services such as public transit, grocery stores, and job opportunities. Specifically, it aims to transform the Penn Avenue-Shady Avenue Intersection into a primary gateway to the East Liberty Transit Station and bridge the divide between two neighborhoods—the East Liberty Business District and Bakery Square—across the expanse of a busway.
Senator Fetterman highlighted the project’s importance, saying, “This is a critical investment in communities in Pittsburgh that have been left behind.” He emphasized that the project would provide vital connections to economic opportunities and essential services for many Pennsylvanians previously cut off from these resources.
Echoing Fetterman’s sentiments, Senator Casey said, “This funding is a critical step towards righting a wrong that has stifled economic growth in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood and left residents cut off from transit and key economic opportunities.” He added that he had fought for this funding to put the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to work to reconnect these communities and help build a more prosperous Pittsburgh.
Representative Summer Lee also expressed her pride in securing the grant, which builds on a previous $1.4 million investment to reconnect Pittsburgh’s North Side and Chateau neighborhoods. She emphasized the need to correct the effects of economic redlining that had forced marginalized communities to live in areas lacking essential services and infrastructure.
The $2 million grant was secured through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program, the first federal initiative dedicated to reconnecting communities previously cut off from economic opportunities due to past transportation infrastructure decisions. This initiative underscores the federal government’s commitment to overcoming economic divides and fostering inclusive growth at a community level.
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