Grant Announcement!
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Discretionary Program
Tri-County is thrilled to announce that we have received a $400,000 US Department of Transportation grant to develop a regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP).
TCRPC has a decades-long track record of collaborating with neighboring jurisdictions and organizations to bolster regional transportation initiatives, preserve infrastructure, and create a positive atmosphere for active transportation. However, the missing piece is a regional safety plan, and this initiative will support the continued safety goals that TCRPC sets every year.
The funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program that includes $5 billion in appropriated funds over federal fiscal years 2022 through 2026. Eligible activities include developing a CSAP, updating one, or implementing capital projects identified in one. Jurisdictions without a CSAP are not eligible for receiving capital project funding through the SS4A grant program.
Unfortunately, as is happening nationwide, transportation-related deaths and serious injuries occur across the region, and it is vital that we address them. From 2016-2020, 158 fatalities and 1,798 A-injuries occurred, with 21, or 13.29%, of the fatalities involving pedestrians/bicyclists, and 151, or 8.40%, of them A-injuries. Within the census tracts classified as underserved, 21 fatalities and 235 A-injuries occurred, with seven deaths and 35 A-injuries involving pedestrians/bicyclists.
The proposed Safety Action Plan will be a consultant-led, data-driven process. TCRPC recognizes that data is fundamental to an effective and valuable document. Thus, using this data, the plan will identify and prioritize focus areas unique to our region to emphasize a clear path forward. Evidence-based and systematic strategies will aim to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries, ultimately hoping to reach Vision Zero.
We are certainly not there yet – the tri-county region has a 5-Year Annual Fatality Average of 31.6, with a fatality rate of 8.91 per 100,000 residents. The underserved communities in the region have a 5-Year Annual Fatality Average of 4.2, with a fatality rate of 11.26 per 100,000 residents.
Creating a regionally led, evidence-based process will not only establish a cooperative foundation for successful planning, but it will also ensure that stakeholders can more capably implement safety projects. Notably, the plan will position local jurisdictions with an identified projects to be eligible for future SS4A capital project funding.