East Lansing Director of Planning and Community Development Tim Dempsey said the grant will look to improve the flow of traffic down Grand River, among other things.

“I think the goal overall … is to make it more efficient for transport, whether it’s looking at the bus transit or … pedestrian access,” he said. “What that results in ultimately is potentially additional opportunities to accommodate students.”

The grant was given to the commission from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities.

There currently is no known timeline for distributing the funding or putting any initiatives in place.

Officials from the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission could not be reached for comment Monday night.

Dempsey said the span of road deals with a heavy volume of traffic on a daily basis so public transportation improvement options will be explored.

Part of Grand River Avenue close by to MSU has come under fire recently after the Michigan Department of Transportation raised the speed limit by 10 mph, to 25 mph, at the beginning of November. The stretch in question runs near the Frandor Shopping Center and continues to Michigan Avenue. Additions and improvements to the skyline along the stretch of road also are expected to come up in discussions, Dempsey said.

He added the city might change some of its zoning ordinances to focus on the “physical relationship of buildings and streets.”

The Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, will serve as a partner on various initiatives started through the grant and will consult with the commission on any changes that might affect them.

“We won’t be receiving any of that funding directly,” said Deb Alexander, the assistant executive director of CATA.

Journalism freshman Amber Taylor said she has no problems with the skyline of the area of Grand River Avenue near MSU.

“For a city that you couldn’t really call urban, it’s pretty nice,” she said.