The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is creating a 24-mile reinvestment corridor between the states of Kansas and Missouri.
Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver II met with local officials on Tuesday to announce the initiative, which will connect Independence, Sugar Creek, Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Canada.
The Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor project will involve multiple organizations and government agencies on both sides of the state border working together to create a zero-emissions regional transit route for cleaner air.
Authorities plan to install electric buses, bicycle and pedestrian paths along the corridor.
The project is funded by the Department of Transportation, which awarded the cities a $5.6 million grant through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.
About 90,000 residents live within a half-mile radius of the planned corridor.
The first phase of the project has already begun and is scheduled to be completed in 2025. Phase two will begin shortly thereafter, and phase three is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
MARC has stressed the importance of public participation to the success of the project. For more information, and to get involved and provide feedback, visit the MARC website.
