ACEEE is proud to participate in the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) FY 2022 Thriving Communities Program. As articulated by the U.S. DOT, the goal of the program is "to ensure that disadvantaged communities adversely or disproportionately affected by environmental, climate, and human health policy outcomes have the technical tools and organizational capacity to compete for federal aid and deliver quality infrastructure projects that enable their communities and neighborhoods to thrive.” ACEEE is part of a team of capacity-building organizations led by RMI under the "Complete Neighborhoods" cohort of the Thriving Communities Program, which includes 15 communities across the country. ACEEE developed work plans in collaboration with four communities (Lansing, MI; Sumter, SC; Lima, OH; and St. Louis County, MO) that outline the initiatives to be advanced over the duration of the two-year Thriving Communities Program.
- As part of this effort, ACEEE and other capacity builders have been meeting with community-based organizations and convening various public-sector stakeholders in Lansing, MI, to improve stakeholder coordination, community engagement, and small business development within a major corridor in southwest Lansing.
- Our team has been working with the City of Sumter, SC, and the Sumter Area Transportation Study (SUATS) to establish a resident advisory committee to help inform transportation policy and funding decisions in the Sumter region. ACEEE has also been supporting local partners in identifying funding opportunities to retrofit a transportation center in the community.
- ACEEE is working with partners in the St. Louis region, including St. Louis County, the City of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, to study opportunities for new and expanded multimodal transportation facilities in connection with upcoming economic development initiatives in the North County area.
- ACEEE is working with the City of Lima, Ohio, the Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission, and the Allen County Regional Transit Authority to advance a work plan focused on transportation safety, community engagement for transportation projects, and improvements to the rider experience for public transit users.