A plan to connect downtown Youngstown through a renovated Fifth Avenue corridor isn't dead yet, according to Youngstown Mayor John McNally. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation rejected the city's grant application Thursday.  

McNally expressed his disappointment with the department's decision in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, but said the city would continue its efforts to fund the project.

The project, dubbed the Youngstown SMART Corridor, includes plans to re-size roadways to fit current traffic and use the remaining space to create multi-usage roads.

McNally says the $15.5 million plan would build shared use paths, bike lanes, a new transit loop overlap, better gateway signage, a new Northside transit hub, and better water and sewage lines.  

The renovated corridor would stretch from St. Elizabeth Hospital to Youngstown State University, the Youngstown Business Incubator, and Mill Creek Park.

YSU President Jim Tressel called it the "Meds to Eds to Tech to Rec" path in April and said that, "The project would include improved transportation, biking and walking paths, green spaces, underground utilities and other enhancements to accelerate economic development."

The City of Youngstown submitted the funding application through the USDOT's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant request program.

The TIGER grant was made in collaboration with YSU, Eastern Gateway Community College, the Western Reserve Transit Authority, YBI, and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

Secretary Foxx allocated nearly $500 million to various applicants during this week's eighth annual TIGER award period.  

Although Youngstown's request was not fulfilled, other cities receiving funds included Akron, Ohio and Flint, Michigan.

McNally says he intends to resubmit the SMART corridor application for next year's TIGER grant period.

The Mayor said he requested a debriefing with department staff to learn more about why Youngstown's application was not selected this year.

McNally says he hopes to use information gleaned in that meeting to improve the city's next funding submission.  

The 2016 Youngstown TIGER grant proposal can be read in full below: