U.S. Transportation Department puts $80 million toward Dallas, McKinney freeway parks

Thursday Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg came to Dallas to unveil plans for four "pedestrian caps" -- sometimes known as deck parks -- over four segments of freeways in Dallas and McKinney.

The federal government will put $80 million from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in the first year of the Biden Administration toward Southern Gateway Park, Klyde Warren Park, over the interstate near the Dallas Farmers Market and State Highway 5 in McKinney. All projects will resemble the pedestrian deck park at Klyde Warren Park in Downtown Dallas.

All four projects will cost more than $200 million. Planners estimate that federal money handles a third of the funding.

The projects are part of the federal government's "Reconnecting Communities" program to mitigate damage to communities when the interstates plowed through poor and minority neighborhoods decades ago.

"‘It is step one towards doing things better. For making residents better off without making anybody worse off. Which is what we get to do today," said Buttigieg.

In the 20th century, the federal government built the highway system across the country and through major American cities. The highways were key for the growing suburbs, allowing people to live around Dallas and commute to work in and out of the city. However, the roads were also built over homes and property in parts of Dallas including Oak Cliff.

"The communities that felt the brunt of that disruption were the same communities that at the time didn't have the political power or resources to stop or reshape or change those projects," said Buttigieg.

In total, $3 billion is available for these projects nationwide.

The parks also fit Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson's goal for more parkland. Johnson joined the federal, state, and local officials Thursday. Almost the entire Dallas City Council attended.

Johnson said the projects, “create even more green space in our city and help us make our city more pedestrian friendly."

"There’s been a significant amount of economic growth on the West side of the freeway in North Oak Cliff, but all of Oak Cliff is not benefiting," said April Allen, President of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation.

Allen told NBC 5 the project is a key step to making the area more walkable and livable.

“Hopefully we’re building a walkable, eat, play, work type of neighborhood. The type of neighborhood that all the young folks are looking for these days," said Allen.

Planners hope the project is complete by the state of the 2026 World Cup matches in North Texas.