Fort Lauderdale residents and visitors might be able to get around the arts districts more easily without their cars in the near future.
The city recently won a $100,000 grant to use on projects that promote alternative forms of transportation through physical activity. Fort Lauderdale is planning to use the money for improving the Flagler Greenway, which is the one-mile, multi-use trail on Flagler Drive that runs between Sunrise Boulevard and Broward Boulevard, through Flagler Village.
The new 'Flagler Greenway Transportation Equity Improvement Project' will increase accesibility and add parking for bikes and scooters. Some of the money will also go to community engagement campaigns to encourage people to use alternate forms of transportation around the area.
"We are focusing on improving transportation options and reducing congestion,” Fort Lauderdale Mayor, Dean Trantalis, said in a statement from the city. “Our goal is to encourage residents and visitors to think beyond their car when deciding how to get from one place to another."
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Fort Lauderdale is one of five cities across the country that received a grant, along with Hartford, Connecticut, Jersey City, New Jersey, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Richardson, Texas. The grant program was initiated by Degree, the deodorant company, and Blue Zones - an environmental lifestyle brand.
Fort Lauderdale's Transportation and Mobility Department worked with the City Commission and Fire Rescue to apply for the grant.
The city's statement also specifies that public input will be part of the decision-making process once the year-long project gets started.