Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer were on the Mountain on July 8 to announce two transportation alternative grants for Monteagle and Tracy City, connecting downtown districts to trails and making other enhancements. A large crowd, including city officials from Monteagle and Tracy City, friends and community leaders gathered on the breezy morning to welcome the governor and the good news.
The town of Monteagle was awarded a $216,320 grant for the Pedestrian Corridor Extension Project. The project will install approximately 2,000 feet of 5-foot sidewalks on the east side of Highway 64 beginning at Dubose Street heading south to Elgin Drive. The sidewalk will extend access to the multiuse trail and park in downtown Monteagle. A new pedestrian crosswalk will also be created across Highway 64 at the Monteagle City Ball Park.
Tracy City received a $603,569 grant to fund the Downtown Sidewalk and Mountain Goat Trail Connector Project. The project will provide pedestrian and bicycle enhancements to the historic downtown business district, including a multi-use path and trailhead parking. The grant will also fund a key section of the Mountain Goat Trail, a projected 35-plus mile trail linking Franklin and Grundy Counties.
“This is a lot of hard work,” Haslam said, “but it is significant to the area. I think this will make people want to live here.”
The transportation alternative grant is made possible through a federally funded program formerly known as transportation enhancement and is administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).
“The Mountain Goat Trail Alliance is honored to have been asked by the Town of Tracy City to collaborate on this grant proposal,” said Janice Thomas, board president of the MGTA. “Our thanks to Gov. Haslam for coming here to recognize the value of the Mountain Goat Trail to Tracy City, Grundy County and the whole South Cumberland Plateau.”
The Tracy City project will create a 10-foot wide asphalt trail beginning at Tracy City Elementary School and following the railbed into downtown Tracy City to Altamont Street (Highway 41/150). The project will turn north and follow Altamont Street across Laurel and Colyar Streets and end at Nathurst Street, from which point future projects will reconnect it to the railbed.
“Enhancing transportation options and connections,” Haslam said, “will increase pedestrian and visitor traffic to businesses and recreation areas. Tennessee’s downtowns are the heart of our communities, and improvements like these improve our cities’ and towns’ livability and the quality of life for residents.”
Through these grants, TDOT has funded more than $306 million in non-traditional transportation projects,” Schroer said. “This program has assisted communities all over the state in their efforts to revitalize downtowns, highlight historic areas, provide alternative means of transportation and increase opportunities for economic development,” Schroer said.
A variety of activities, such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects, are eligible for grant funds under the federal program.
Additional reporting by Patrick Dean and Rhonda Pilkington
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