WASHINGTON (Valley News Live) – The Biden-Harris administration and U.S. Department of Transportation announced today, over $4.7 Million will go towards improving roads and reduce national traffic fatalities.
It’s a part of the new Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program (SS4A), U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced today. It will include five grants for communities in North Dakota.
Traffic fatalities reached a 16-year high in 2021, and data shows it is getting worse especially for those walking, biking, or rolling. In addition, traffic crashes are costly to American society. A new report shows the economic impact of traffic crashes was $340 billion in 2019 alone.
“Every year, crashes cost tens of thousands of American lives and hundreds of billions of dollars to our economy; we face a national emergency on our roadways, and it demands urgent action,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We are proud that these grants will directly support hundreds of communities as they prepare steps that are proven to make roadways safer and save lives.”
McKenzie County was awarded 2.8 million for safety projects. This award will help McKenzie County implement systemic safety improvements that address rural safety problems including right-angle intersection crashes, lane departures, and non-intersection crashes along a curve. Specific project activities include enhanced edgelines and pavement markings, shoulder and centerline rumble strips, advanced curve warnings, upgraded chevrons, signs and markings, streets lights, and a walkway that is a separated bike and pedestrian path.
The Department is also awarding four action planning grants to help improve roadway safety in North Dakota. The applicants receiving awards are:
City of Williston
Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments
Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization
North Dakota State University
The full list of awards can be viewed HERE. The next funding opportunity of $1.1 billion is expected to be released in April of this year.
In addition to SS4A grants, tomorrow the Federal Highways Administration will award a total of $21 million to 70 Tribes to improve road safety on Tribal lands, addressing issues such as roadway departures and the need for better pedestrian crossings.
For more information about SS4A, including additional resources and information for interested applicants and stakeholders, click HERE.
To read more about the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, including the Safe Systems Approach, click HERE.
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Source: valley news live
