Whereas enterprise leaders Regionally say the freeway would join the metropolis to financial hubs in Louisiana, Ms. Wiley worries It is going to displace her church and neighbors.
“Taking A look at the place I stay proper now, it’s like They Want to push us out farther and, properly, It is going to gentrify the group,” said Ms. Wiley, the president of An group opposing The event. “My hope is that it gained’t be The identical however I really feel Choose it’ll.”
Shawn Wilson, the secretary of Louisiana’s Division of Transportation, said he was weighing the considerations of Ms. Wiley, As properly as to the views of members of the enterprise group who say the enterprise would join Allfinishale to completely different cities in Louisiana and close by states, producing hundreds of hundreds in financial worth for the communities.
Mr. Wilson, who was recently elected the president of the American Affiliation of State Highway and Transportation Officers, a nonprofit representing state transportation departments, has but To Obtain A selection on how the state ought to proceed.
But he said the federal authorities had educated him that Louisiana’s Possibilities of getting money from the discretionary fund would Depfinish upon whether or not the state’s tasks Assume about racial equity and local climate change. That discretionary money, he said, Can be Important to finish any enlargement.
Mr. Wilson said the views of The world people Can be paramount.
“We’re going to ask them to stay with this infrastructure. We’re going to ask them To take a place native dollars On this infrastructure,” he said. “And if we don’t do it proper, they’re going to have to Deal with The outcomes of this infrastructure.”
Federal officials say there are provisions in place to encourage states to take equity Beneath consideration. Transportation Division officials have been working with the Home Coverage Council, headed by Susan Rice, who leads the president’s racial equity initiative, To Obtain out to native authoritiess to implement the infrastructure package deal.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/16/us/politics/racial-equity-states-government.html