Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) joined Alief community leaders Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, Alief ISD Superintendent Dr. Anthony Mays, Harris County Toll Road Authority Roberto Treviño, Westchase District CEO Irma Sanchez, and representatives from the office of City Council Member Tiffany Thomas to announce $1,200,000 in federal funding to allow Harris County to develop a plan for safe pedestrian and cycling connections, parks and greenspace, and roadway safety features between communities on both sides of the Westpark Tollway in Alief.  The project is part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

“I am thrilled that the Biden administration will award Harris County Precinct Four $1.2 million to increase transportation options, expand greenspace, and improve movement across the Westpark Tollway in Alief,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Transportation and transportation infrastructure should connect, not divide, communities, and this federal funding does just that.  I was glad to join Commissioner Briones, Harris County Toll Road Authority Executive Director Roberto Treviño, Alief ISD Superintendent Anthony Mays, and Westchase District CEO Irma Sanchez to celebrate this announcement and I look forward to continuing our work together for our district, our county, and our region.”

“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 IIJA, which established the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation.  Earlier this month, she announced that Harris County would receive grant funding from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program for this project.

Harris County will receive $1,200,000 million from the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program for the “Reconnect Alief” project.  This grant will fund the study of how to reconnect communities along the Westpark Tollway in Alief.  The Harris County Toll Road Authority is re-imagining the Westpark Tollway to bridge this very diverse and disadvantaged community.  This study will complement those efforts and create a list of recommended projects—bicycle-pedestrian, transit, parks and open spaces, art, and roadway safety—for future investment.

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.