Kansas City, Mo – Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas today announced Kansas City has been awarded a $5 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to plan a project for critical, transformational improvements along U.S. Highway 71, particularly from 85th Street north to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The project, U.S. 71 Reconnecting Neighborhoods, will develop a clear plan to equitably improve safety, mobility, and access to opportunities in an underserved area of Kansas City’s east side, which has been historically negatively impacted by the construction of U.S. Highway 71.

Highway 71 was constructed in the 1990s and early 2000s with the goal of providing a direct connection between downtown Kansas City with the growing southern areas of the region. However, the Highway 71 corridor tore through predominately African-American neighborhoods on Kansas City’s east side. In total, nearly 2,000 African-American families were displaced during construction.

In addition to negatively impacting nearby neighborhoods, this portion of Highway 71 has the highest numbers of severe injury and fatal crashes for pedestrians and cyclists in the Kansas City metro. Many residents coming from the east are forced to cross the highway to access the Prospect MAX bus line, grocery stores, and other retail attracting residents from the east side.

Enhancements to safety, connectivity, and equity will be at the core of this planning effort to redefine this critical transportation asset for the Kansas City region.

The project will be completed in several phases over the next five years.

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