Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) announced Harris County Precinct Four will receive $1,200,000 from the Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program—a program established in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).  These funds will allow Harris County to develop safe pedestrian and cycling connections between communities on both sides of the Westpark Tollway in Alief.

“I am thrilled that the Biden administration will award Harris County Precinct Four more than $1 million to increase multimodal transportation options, expand greenspace, and improve movement across the Westpark Tollway in Alief,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “This investment will enhance the quality of life for residents of Alief while enhancing connections between neighborhoods and schools throughout the community.  I am grateful for Commissioner Briones’ leadership and vision, and I look forward to continuing to work together to improve our community.”

“Infrastructure decisions made decades ago have had a lasting impact on Alief, one of the most socioeconomically vulnerable communities along the Westpark Tollway,” said Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones.  “The Reconnect Alief study will allow us to prioritize future infrastructure investments that will improve public safety and access to schools, healthcare facilities, and workplaces.  I am grateful to President Biden and his administration, as well as to Congresswoman Fletcher, for this collaborative investment in the future of Alief.”

In 2021, Congresswoman Fletcher voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which established the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program.  Last year, Congresswoman Fletcher announced a Reconnecting Communities Pilot program grant for the Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond Study. The grant is funding a 12-month study and community-driven planning process to design future connections on Hillcroft Avenue in Gulfton, which are currently separated by freeways and busy thoroughfares.  

Congresswoman Fletcher is a member of the Regional Leadership Council, made up of 12 members of Congress from across the country, which works to enhance coordination between federal agencies, Congress, and regional stakeholders to ensure the transformative laws passed in the 117th Congress—including the IIJA—are implemented as quickly and as effectively as possible.