The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced approximately $817 million in Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants, aimed at enhancing safety and preventing fatalities on American roadways. This initiative forms part of the larger $14 billion infrastructure law targeting improved roadway safety.
According to a DOT news release, these grants will enable municipalities and tribal communities to develop projects that support the safety roadway initiative, aligning with DOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy. DOT officials are confident that many accidents on the nation's roads can be prevented through improved infrastructure.
"Through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, we have now announced safety funding going directly to communities representing seventy percent of the people living in this country," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "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."
In another DOT news release, it was stated that the $817 million SS4A grants include 48 implementation grants focused on safety ventures and strategies, along with 337 grants for planning and demonstration performance. In addition to this grant, SS4A grants have provided $1.7 billion in direct financing to over 1,000 area cities in 2023. This is expected to improve roadway safety planning covering 70 percent of the country’s population.
U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg expressed her excitement about supporting communities across the country as they design safer roadways. "USDOT is committed to making our nation’s roadways safer and more livable for all who drive, walk, bike, and roll," said Trottenberg.
Among the projects set to benefit from this recent grant include: Nashville-Davidson County in Tennessee receiving $13 million; City of El Paso being granted $9.9 million; City of Detroit receiving $24.8 million; City of Billings, Mont. getting $3.5 million and the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County in Reno, Nev. receiving $8.9 million.
