Marco Rubio, Byron Donalds, and Others Throw Their Support Behind BERT
The first grant application for the purchase of the rail corridor needed to create the Bonita Estero Rail Trail, (BERT), was completed in mid-July by the four jurisdictions of Lee and Collier counties, the City of Bonita Springs, and Village of Estero in coordination with Trust for Public Land, (TPL). The application seeks funding from the federal Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP). (Lee County was the lead applicant). ATIIP is a new competitive grant program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to construct projects that provide safe and connected active transportation facilities in active transportation networks or active transportation spines. The ATIIP application request was for $12 million.
BERT received a significant boost supporting the ATIIP grant effort with letters of support to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg from Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Byron Donalds, as well as Estero Mayor Jon McLain, and L.K. Nandam with the Florida Department of Transportation. Receiving this high level of support helps increase the chances of receiving the grant. Many thanks to Senator Rubio, Representative Donalds, Mayor McLain and L.K. Nandam for your support of BERT! Please consider writing an email or letter to let them know how much you appreciate their support, as well as the many other federal, state, county and local officials who have rallied around our cause! Read their letters of support below:
