March 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
The City of Smithville is embarking on a plan to eventually build new sidewalks and improve pedestrian crossings but it will need some financial help to make it happen.
During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, Mayor Josh Miller asked the aldermen to take the first step in the process by authorizing an application for a $75,000 Community Transportation Planning Grant through the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The program is a 90/10 match grant that facilitates a study to create a plan for specific projects. Mayor Miller said he would like to build sidewalks on East Broad Street and South Congress Boulevard and to add and improve sidewalks and pedestrian crossings in the downtown area.
The city is hoping to use funds from a health department grant to cover the 10% match which would be $7,500.
Should the grant be approved, the city would then take the next step in the process by seeking a federally funded TDOT Transportation Alternatives grant to cover construction costs for the specified downtown projects up to $1 million. This is an 80/20 match grant and all engineering and design work would have to be completed or funded by the city.
For the proposed sidewalk projects on East Broad and South Congress Boulevard, the city would need to apply for a Multi Modal Access Grant. This program is a 95/5 match for construction up to $1 million.
Mayor Miller said the city needs these improvements but they won’t come overnight. “I need to get the study done and plans drawn so that hopefully by fall we can apply for the grants including the Multi Modal Grant.”