Youngstown pursues BUILD grant for smart network
City leaders have a vision for Youngstown's roads. A federal grant could help that vision come to life.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - City leaders have a vision for Youngstown's roads. A federal grant could help that vision come to life.
"This grant is the picture of who we want to be. There's so much talk about who we were and this really redefines what Youngstown is, not only to the outside community but it also helps us retell our story of where we want to go," said Sara Daugherty, the Economic Development Program Manager for Eastgate.
Eastgate, a metropolitan planning organization, is leading the charge on the application to make it more of a regional application. The grant is the "BUILD" grant, the Trump administration's replacement for the Tiger grant, geared more toward development and seeing a return on investment.
Out of a potential $1.5 billion pool of money, out of which areas can request up to $25 million, Youngstown's asking for between 10 and 11 million dollars. The main focus of that money would be trying to take roads that were laid out for seven times the traffic, and making them work for today's Youngstown.
"We're really not asking for a new bridge or a new interchange, we're just asking to help us fix what we have," said Daugherty.
Potential improvements include increased safety, a more bike-friendly series of roads, along with better parking and more green space. All of those are seen as potential keys to drawing development to the downtown area.
The proposal also includes a partnership that could bring autonomous transit shuttles to the city, citing Youngstown as an excellent candidate to test this kind of technology.
In terms of road changes, 5th Avenue near YSU's campus is a prime example. The proposal would take away the outer two lanes, using the converted space for trees and additional walking areas, potentially having a dramatic impact on the appearance of the area.
"Right now, if you cross 5th Avenue it's not really pleasant. It's a little bit like Frogger," said Daugherty.
It's one of many issues they're trying to fix with this proposal, due by July 19th. Eastgate has a public meeting scheduled July 5th from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. to get public input on the potential changes people want to see.
"No matter what, these roadways are going to be resurfaced in the near future, and so there is opportunities to restripe them for better on-street parking, maybe having some more crosswalks," said Daugherty.
The BUILD grants are expected to be announced sometime this fall.