BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Main Street, in collaboration with several state agencies and a consultant planning team, has been awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation Thriving Communities Regional Pilot Capacity Builder Program (TCP-R) grant - one of only six nationwide.
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor announced that the $1.9 million award will be used to create a technical assistance program to progress infrastructure development in six underserved Main Street communities. The Thriving Communities Program provides tailored technical assistance to under-resourced communities to advance a slew of infrastructure projects that will increase mobility, reduce pollution, and expand affordable transportation choices.
"We are thrilled to be one of only six projects selected nationally for this award. Our small towns need support, so we are pleased the project team will deliver customized technical assistance and capacity building services. This work will make an immediate impact while also catalyzing more private investment in our downtown districts," said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
The six Louisiana Main Street communities that were selected include Franklin, Homer, New Roads, Opelousas, St. Martinville, and Winnsboro. The three-year program includes both customized technical assistance and direct funding.
"Homer is excited to be selected for the DOT Thriving Communities program," said Jimmy Hand, Main Street Homer Board President. "This is a great opportunity to develop a plan for infrastructure projects that will improve transportation and walkability for our residents, making the Homer Main Street district safer for our citizens."
To lead and implement this program in the six selected Main Street areas, Louisiana Main Street is partnering with the Louisiana Office of Planning and Budget, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Louisiana Department of Health, LSU AgCenter, and Louisiana Economic Development. The state partners are providing more than $200,000 in matching funds to increase the support available.
"Louisiana Main Street is excited to partner with the project team to deliver much-needed services to six designated Main Street communities," said Ray Scriber, Director of Louisiana Main Street. "This project will help the communities make incremental improvements while working to secure funding for larger projects."
Each state agency will provide programmatic guidance and project development assistance to the Main Street communities in partnership with members of the consultant planning team, which includes the Center for Planning Excellence, Grey Engineering, and Place + Main, officials report. Members of the consultant planning team will provide community-informed recommendations on economic development, transportation planning best practices, and infrastructure improvements.
Presentations, materials, tools, and recorded workshops used in the projects will also be made available to other Main Street communities in Louisiana, creating a "Community of Practice" that will facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing, awareness of best practices, and relationship building, resulting in long-term capacity building, said Lieutenant Governor Nungesser.
