‘Monroe Makeover’ project seeks Blueprint, federal dollars for improvements
Although we’re making progress on the North Monroe corridor makeover, there’s still a lot of work to do. Just last year, the Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) identified a high number of injuries and fatalities along North Monroe, and an extensive survey conducted by the Planning Department found a high demand for improved safety and mobility along the corridor.
The good news is that the CRTPA is identifying specific safety improvements needed for North Monroe -- upgraded intersections, new sidewalks, better lighting, safer street crossings, etc. -- and it plans to apply for a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Safe Streets for All grant to obtain the necessary funding. A 20% local match is required, and the matching funds must be designated and held while the application is under review by the USDOT.
Fortunately, the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency has $4.2 million available for its own North Monroe Gateway improvements. If we use these Blueprint funds for the match and the grant is awarded, we'll then have $21 million for the design and construction of the safety improvements. We'd be drawing down $16.8 million in federal funds for North Monroe -- that's a 1-to-5 return on our local Blueprint dollars.
Before the $4.2 million in Blueprint funds can be used as the match, however, the Blueprint directors must vote to designate it as such. We hope the Blueprint board of directors will consider this an excellent opportunity to leverage Blueprint dollars for much-needed safety improvements, but we won't know for sure until their next meeting on February 29th.
Showing widespread community support for this 'Monroe Makeover' plan could be essential, so we hope you'll sign the petition at MonroeMakeover.com and ask your friends, family and co-workers living in Leon County to do the same. On February 27th, we'll deliver the petition submissions for the Blueprint directors' review.
Over the past few years, our community has made North Monroe a greater priority. In 2021, the Leon County Commission established the Citizens' North Monroe Task Force, which developed a list of recommendations that were subsequently added to the county’s five-year strategic plan. The city’s new police headquarters at North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Tharpe Street will be a game changer. Between John Knox and Lakeshore Drive, the Florida Department of Transportation is installing new landscaping and curbing in the medians, and sidewalks along the west side will be constructed later this year. East of the corridor, Blueprint’s Lake Jackson Greenway, running five miles from Lake Ella to the Lake Jackson Mounds Archeological State Park, will be a community treasure.
Working together, we can build on this momentum and make North Monroe Street a source of pride for Tallahassee. Visit MonroeMakeover.com to learn more.
Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor represents District 3, the northwestern part of Leon County. To sign up for his updates on North Monroe and other projects, please visit http://www.LeonCountyFL.gov/RickMinor.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Monroe Makeover’ seeks Blueprint, federal dollars for improvements
