NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer announced Tuesday the award of $10.2 million in Multimodal Access Fund Grants to 14 communities across the state. The grants will fund infrastructure projects that support the transportation needs of transit users, pedestrians, and bicyclists by addressing gaps along the state highway network.

East Ridge will be receiving almost $950,000 to install a half-mile of 10-foot wide multi-use path on the north side of Ringgold Road and a five-foot sidewalk on the south side, TDOT officials announced in a press release. The money will also be used for median improvements. The legislators sponsoring the city were Sen. Todd Gardenhire and Rep. Marc Gravitt.

“Improving our facilities for walking, biking, and transit is critical to the continued growth and success of our towns and cities, and these grants help make our communities across Tennessee more livable by creating more transportation options,” Haslam said.

Examples of projects eligible under the Multimodal Access Fund Program include sidewalks and pedestrian crossing improvements, bus shelters, park and ride facilities, and bicycle lanes. Multimodal Access projects will be funded 95 percent by TDOT, with 5 percent funded with local matching funds. Total individual project costs will not exceed $1 million.

“Our responsibilities as a transportation agency go far beyond building roads and bridges,” Commissioner Schroer said. “Providing safe access for different modes of transportation ultimately creates a more complete and diverse network for our users. These projects are also extremely cost effective, which allows TDOT to make improvements in more areas across the state.”

The Multimodal Access Grant was created in 2013 and TDOT has been able to fund 27 projects through a competitive grant process.