Sault Tribe awarded $19.8 million for improvements

SAULT STE. MARIE — The Biden-Harris Administration has awarded the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians $19.8 million to invest in the tribe’s infrastructure, multi modal paths and a boardwalk that will have a major impact on the tribal and surrounding community.

The funding comes from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program.

The award will fund the Ozhitoon Mino-Bimaadiziwin (Build for a Good Life ) Project to improve pedestrian safety on a high-speed and high-traffic corridor, promote connectivity, and support the tribe’s transformative vision for the Shunk Road neighborhood by connecting corridors and improving mobility for the residents who depend on transit, walking and bicycling. Multi-modal paths and bike lanes on Shunk Road, 3 Mile Road and the Marquette Avenue corridors will encourage more use of the city of Sault Ste. Marie’s bike network and improve safety by separating pedestrians from vehicle traffic.

“More and more people continue to seek alternative transportation options like walking, biking and public transit. These grant funds will ensure we can continue to invest in our community and the health and safety of our residents by improving the transportation options available to them,” Sault Tribe Vice Chairperson Austin Lowes said in a news release. “I want to thank our tribe staff and local leaders for their work in bringing this grant to our community.”

The transformation of the Shunk Road neighborhood received strong community engagement and support from the various partners and safety advocates in the region. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing; Gary Peters, D-Blooomfield Hills; U.S. Rep Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet; U.S Rep Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township; state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township; and state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, joined in the effort.

“Investing in infrastructure will not only ensure residents and families can get around safely and efficiently, it will help our communities rebuild in a way that promotes long-term growth and resiliency,” Peters said in a statement. He wrote a letter of support for the project to Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “That’s why I was proud to help secure this grant, which will help the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians upgrade roadways that are critical to their Tribe and economic success, while increasing access to the breathtaking nature our state has to offer.”

In a statement, Stabenow said, “Greater investments in Michigan and our nation’s infrastructure are long overdue. I applaud these critical road improvements to improve public safety and expand access to outdoor recreation and essential tribal services.”

Local partners include Chippewa Mackinac Luce Community Action Agency, the city of Sault Ste. Marie and the Chippewa County Road Commission. The grant will allow the tribe to partner with the city and the road commission to make improvements to meet modern transportation demands and help to create local jobs while investing in the tribe and community’s future.

According to the Department of Transportation website, projects were evaluated on several criteria, including safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness and opportunity, partnership and collaboration, innovation, state of good repair, and mobility and community connectivity.

Within these areas, DOT considered how projects will improve accessibility for all travelers, bolster supply chain efficiency, and support racial equity and economic growth, especially in historically disadvantaged communities and areas of persistent poverty.

“This $19.8 million federal investment will help build the safer, greener roads and trails that our tribe and city deserve: saving lives, easing commutes, and bringing communities closer together,” said the author of the Shunk Road Streetscape Project and the grant proposal, Transportation Planner Wendy Hoffman, in a statement. “It was my privilege to help secure this transformative funding, and I will continue to work diligently with federal, state and local partners to achieve our ‘Vision Zero,’ ending traffic fatalities and providing connectivity.

Buttigieg recently announced the $2.2 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act RAISE grants that fund 166 projects across the country. The program is highly competitive and rigorously reviewed and selected by DOT with only 7% of grant applications historically chosen.