WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) today announced the award of $44,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the grants will support significant trail improvement projects by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and New Castle County.

“The Georgetown to Lewes Trail is a great destination for Sussex County residents and visitors,” said Governor John Carney. “This grant will help us complete the 17-mile trail and will help showcase Delaware’s rich natural heritage for all to enjoy. I want to thank the Biden Administration and our Congressional Delegation for helping make this possible.”

“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Delaware is receiving millions in funding to connect our communities and make our state a better place to live, work, and play,” said Senator Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “These grants will make it easier for Delawareans to experience our state’s natural beauty by providing safe alternatives for bicyclists and pedestrians while also helping to drive economic growth and opportunity. I am so proud to have helped secure this funding with Senator Coons and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In addition, I look forward to running on these trails myself.”

“Delaware earns its ‘small wonder’ label because it’s packed with incredible green spaces that stretch from our parks in New Castle County to our beautiful beaches in Sussex, and everything you can see along the way,” said Senator Coons. “The tens of millions of dollars coming through this RAISE grant will help preserve even more green space in Delaware and expand access to one of our state’s crown jewels of the outdoors in the Jack Markell Trail.”

“Investing in transportation Infrastructure was the goal of the transformational Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and I championed in Congress,” said Representative Blunt Rochester, member of the Regional Leadership Council, a group of lawmakers appointed to lead the implementation and communication of historic legislation passed in the 117th Congress. “With the $44 million in RAISE Grant funding made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’ll be able to increase access to scenic trails in New Castle and Sussex Counties with a focus on strengthening our environmental sustainability, job creation, and quality of life across Delaware.”

“Since the first phase of the Georgetown to Lewes Trail opened in October 2016 and with each completed segment, it has now become the most heavily used trail in the state. We are very excited to receive this grant that will allow the department to move forward with building the final six miles of the trail connecting our growing communities with a great alternative to relying solely on cars for travel,” said Delaware Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.

“We are beyond thrilled to be selected for this RAISE grant,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect communities, encourage healthy lifestyles, and further enjoy our nationally recognized bike and walking trail systems in Delaware. I am especially thankful to our federal delegation for their advocacy for this project.”

RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the state and local levels, including municipalities, tribal governments, counties, and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs.

GRANT DETAILS:

• $23,000,000 to New Castle County for the construction of an approximately 2-mile, ADA-accessible, shared-use path connection between the Town of Newport and the Jack A. Markell Trail in Wilmington, Delaware.
• $21,000,000 to DelDOT for the construction of the final phase of an approximately 17-mile multi-use, off-alignment path connecting the Town of Georgetown to the City of Lewes. The final phase includes the installation of approximately 6 miles of a 10-foot to 12-foot-wide shared-use path along the railroad corridor.