U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $817M in Road Safety Grants
The United States is currently experiencing an infrastructure crisis. Last year, nearly 43,000 people died in crashes on American roads and streets, many of which were caused by insufficient or inaccurate signage and a lack of pedestrian sidewalks and crosswalks. While local and state governments are addressing issues in their respective jurisdictions, there is no doubt that infrastructure collapse is a nationwide issue that requires federal intervention. In response, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently announced the distribution of 385 road safety grants, totaling $817 million, as part of the $5 billion Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All program
These federal road safety grants will be distributed through USDOT’s new Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, which represents one of the largest federal transportation safety investments in our country’s history. These federal grants will serve to support state and city governments in implementing crucial repairs to existing roads as well as new and improved transportation systems.
“We are acting to confront the crisis of safety on our nation’s roads, helping communities work to reduce traffic deaths to the only acceptable number: zero.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “USDOT is excited to support communities all across the country as they design and deliver safer roadways. USDOT is committed to making our nation’s roadways safer and more livable for all who drive, walk, bike, and roll.”
Where is the money going?
In 2021, the Biden administration passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which launched the Safe Streets and Roads for All discretionary funding program with $5 billion in appropriated funds to be distributed over 5 years (2022–2026). After the almost $1 billion awarded so far, over $3 billion is still available for future funding rounds. Applications for the next round of funding are expected to open this month.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All funding recipients consist of two different kinds of grants: planning grants and implementation grants. Planning grants support the development or updating of Action Plans, such as the expansion of separated bicycle lanes, updated pedestrian crossing safety features, safer sidewalks and crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, and enhancing safety measures on school and public transit routes. Implementation grants support the planning, design, and development of projects and strategies identified in Action Plans.
Grantees of this federal program range from large metropolitan areas to smaller townships across the United States. The full list of awardees is on the USDOT website, but here are a few notable examples:
- $25,000,000 – City of Fayetteville, AR: to implement its Vision Zero strategy, which addresses safety problems in the City’s most critical transportation corridors.
- $12,901,089 – City of San Jose, CA: to implement safety improvements at four arterial intersections in the city’s HIN.
- $20,927,748 – Chicago Department of Transportation, IL: implement corridor safety improvements on Ogden Avenue in North Lawndale, a high crash area in the city’s HIN.
- $21,800,000 – City of Dallas, TX: for multiple improvements on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Cedar Crest Boulevard for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Through this new federal initiative, hopefully cities and states around the country can repair their crumbling infrastructure and make public safety a priority.
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