Communities hope infrastructure law fixes racial wrongs

BALTIMORE, Md. — Building roads and bridges often times comes astatine a outgo to neighborhoods.

A survey estimated implicit 1 cardinal Americans were displaced erstwhile highways were built decades ago.

Glenn Smith was 1 of those impacted. He lived successful West Baltimore successful the 1960s and 1970s.

"There were each bully memories present until it was breached up," Smith said successful an interrogation from a span overlooking his aged neighborhood.

Smith is rather acquainted with what has go known arsenic the "highway to nowhere."

The 1.5 mile agelong of roadworthy was planned and constructed successful the 1960s and 1970s. The extremity was to link Interstate 70 with Interstate 95.

However, the lone portion of the task completed was the agelong of roadworthy wherever Smith utilized to live.

The 2 interstates were ne'er linked and the wide task was shutdown.

Smith says his historically Black assemblage felt the interaction portion different communities did not.

"It removed implicit 570 homeowners retired of this assemblage and we person not recovered," Smith said.

"I often notation to it arsenic taking the bosom of the body," helium added.

Since then, elected officials and engineers person pointed to the project, arsenic good arsenic others, arsenic being an illustration of systemic racism that existed decades agone erstwhile it came to readying infrastructure projects.

Oftentimes, Black communities suffered the astir erstwhile caller roads were built.

"All astir the state they did the aforesaid thing," Smith said.
 
INFRASTRUCTURE LAW CHANGES

This year, the White House and Congress recognized historical wrongs erstwhile they signed the bipartisan infrastructure measure into law.

The authorities includes $1 cardinal for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. The wealth volition beryllium utilized to put successful areas wounded the most. 

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg precocious described wherever the wealth volition go.

In immoderate cases roads oregon bridges whitethorn spell away. In others, perhaps, caller autobus stops. 

"We don't privation to enforce a one-size-fits-all answer," Buttigieg said during a caller White House briefing.

"We person to perceive the community," helium added.

Back successful Baltimore, Smith acknowledges a cardinal dollars astir apt isn't capable to instrumentality down the roadworthy that ruined his neighborhood.

However, helium would similar immoderate wealth utilized to amended proscription successful the country or, perhaps, make jobs. 

"We privation to spot thing that benefits the community," Smith said.