On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it had awarded more than $63 million to 99 communities throughout the country to improve road safety.
The grants, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program will go directly to local regional and tribal communities for road safety and to help prevent deaths and serious injuries to motorists and cyclists, the DOT said. More than 40,000 people die on U.S. roads each year, the department said.
“Bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers should be safe on our roads and streets, and the Biden-Harris Administration is taking action across the country to make our roads safer for everyone who uses them,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Thanks to our Safe Streets for All grants, communities across the country are improving their roads so they can be safely shared by bikes, cars, and pedestrians, and this latest round of funding will make it possible for 99 communities to implement roadway safety measures that help save more lives.”
Among the communities receiving funding were Mount Holly, N.J., which received $400,000 to identify and prioritize crash trend locations where physical bicycle and pedestrian improvements can increase safety and access; Palacios, Texas, which received $320,000 to be used to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan; and York, Ala., which was awarded $145,200 to pilot quick-build safety activities to assess their effectiveness.
The awards announced on Friday are the first of three rounds to be made available in 2024. The program encourages more applications through Aug. 29, 2024.