Northern Santa Barbara County received $1.4 million grant to improve local transportation options
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, $1.4 million in federal funding was issued to build an additional 8.7 miles of contiguous multi-use paths connecting the Santa Ynez Reservation to the communities of Buellton and Solvang.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration awarded $1,426,000 to expand travel options for people in the area explained the Active Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Program summary issued Tuesday.
The local grant is part of $44.5 million in grants issued to communities in 13 states and Puerto Rico authorized through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"Through the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program, communities across the country are making safe and accessible active transportation options a reality," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "With the grants announced today—made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—towns and cities in more than a dozen states will have funding in place to plan or construct infrastructure that allows people to safely walk, bike, and roll to schools, medical centers, jobs, and other destinations."
When the grant application window was opened in March of 2024, more than $1.8 billion was requested for 352 separate applications which far exceeded the authorized budget of the program shared a press release about the grant awardees Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the grants are through the Safe Streets and Roads for All discretionary program and part of a broader national blueprint for decarbonization of transportation.
