CHAMPAIGN-URBANA: Budzinski Announces $10 Million to Enhance Safety and Mobility at Florida Avenue
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that the Florida Avenue Multimodal Corridor Reconstruction project will receive a $9,950,930 grant for the rehabilitation of Florida Avenue. The grant will help increase transportation safety and mobility in this high traffic corridor, connecting the City of Urbana and the University of Illinois’ flagship campus.
“Thanks to this grant funding, the City of Urbana can now bring this critical project to life. This project will improve safety, upgrade infrastructure, protect bike paths, and connect key local spots like the University’s athletic facilities and historic neighborhoods. Not to mention, it will create over 150 construction jobs, providing a serious boost to our local economy,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “Overall, this is a huge win for our community. I’m proud to have advocated for these funds and will keep working to secure the federal resources our communities need and deserve.”
“We are so excited about this news! It was great to be able to partner with Representative Budzinski to bring nearly $10 million to the City of Urbana for the rehabilitation of Florida Avenue. Partnerships like these are critical to multimodal safety and the health of our community,” said Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District Director Karl Gnadt.
“With this RAISE grant, we can finally replace one of the worst stretches of pavement in the city, improve accessibility, and make traveling much safer for people of all abilities and ages. Furthermore, the side path will close a major gap in our bicycle network between Race Street and Lincoln Avenue,” said Mayor of Urbana Diane Marlin. “I want to thank Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and Representative Nikki Budzinski, along with our community partners in Champaign County First, the CU Mass Transit District, the City of Urbana Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and University of Illinois President Timothy Killeen and Chancellor Robert Jones for their support.
The nearly $10 million in funding for the project was awarded through the highly competitive Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The RAISE program is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and has so far allocated more than $15 billion for infrastructure projects across the country.
This is the fourth RAISE grant Budzinski has secured for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, totaling more than $54 million. In June of 2023, she joined Senators Durbin and Duckworth in announcing more than $22.6 million for the Curtis Road Grade Separation and Complete Streets Project in Savoy. In June of 2024, she again joined the Senators in announcing more than $21 million for Edwardsville’s Goshen Road and Liberty Trail Multimodal Transportation Improvement Project. In July of 2024, Congresswoman Budzinski announced a $550,000 RAISE planning grant for America’s Central Port in Granite City to develop a plan to connect the Granite City Harbor to the Madison Harbor.
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