MIAMI – Florida will receive $67 million in federal grants to increase the safety of streets and intersections, underneath funding declared Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Total, hundreds of cities and counties throughout the U.S. will obtain a share of about $800 million. The grants normally are intended to promote safety for several roadway customers, like motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
“This investment comes at an significant junction as targeted traffic fatalities arrived at a 16-calendar year superior in 2021 and preliminary knowledge indicates will keep on being in close proximity to these concentrations in 2022, even having even worse for individuals going for walks, biking, or rolling as very well as incidents involving vans,” according to a DOT assertion.
Just about 43,000 men and women are approximated to have died in auto site visitors crashes in 2021, in accordance to information from Countrywide Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That was an enhance of almost one particular-third around the previous ten years.
The aggressive grant method, proven by President Biden’s historic infrastructure legislation, gives $5 billion over five decades for regional, area, and Tribal initiatives, from redesigned roads to improved sidewalks and crosswalks, to stop fatalities and major accidents on the nation’s roadways.
“Just about every year, crashes cost tens of countless numbers of American lives and hundreds of billions of pounds to our economy we experience a countrywide emergency on our roadways, and it demands urgent motion,” stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We are very pleased that these grants will right guidance hundreds of communities as they get ready techniques that are tested to make roadways safer and save life.”
Florida received a few awards for implementation tasks in this initial round of the method. They are likely to Tampa, Hillsborough County, and Gainesville.
Thirty-four action planning grants have been also awarded to assistance increase roadway protection in Florida. South Florida recipients include things like Broward Metropolitan Arranging Group, Key West, Miami Beach, North Miami Seashore, Opa-locka, and the Village of Palmetto Bay.
The subsequent funding option of $1.1 billion is envisioned to be introduced in April.
