Federal funds to help pay for street improvements in the Richardson IQ

A funding agreement of more than $1.7 million for street improvements in The IQ was approved on consent by Richardson City Council on Aug. 16.

The money will pay for the construction of a shared-use path along East Arapaho Road, pedestrian lighting and bicycle lanes along Greenville Avenue, and pavement and signal improvements at the intersection of Greenville and Arapaho. The project’s design phase, which will cost $600,000, is the only direct cost to Richardson, according to city documents.

The construction phase is funded through the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, a federally-backed initiative administered through the Texas Department of Transportation. The program offers funding for projects that offer alternative mobility options.

The agreement includes a 20% match of $340,589 in in-kind contributions from the city of Richardson, which was paid for through Transportation Development Credits, a funding source awarded by the North Central Texas Council of Governments to pay for air quality-related projects, according to city documents.

The IQ is a 1,200-acre area east of Central Expressway that used to serve as the supply chain to the city’s Telecom Corridor but is now the subject of an in-depth revitalization effort by the city. To help facilitate the area’s growth, Richardson has several infrastructure projects planned. Funding would come from the upcoming city bond election as well as various grants, such as this one from the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program.

Construction is set to begin in early 2023 and be complete by the end of that year.