Dahlonega has been awarded a $5.1 million federal grant for a project that officials hope will improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity in an area around downtown and the University of North Georgia. “It has taken a lot of hard work by the city and (local) development authority and this award will have huge payoffs for the continued improvements and enhancements for our heart of the North Georgia mountains,” said Amy Booker, president of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber & Visitors Bureau. The city is getting the money from the Department of Transportation’s highly competitive Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery program, which seeks to help fund “innovative transportation projects that address economic, environmental and travel issues at once.”