The Federal Highway Administration has awarded 11 New Jersey municipalities and agencies $25 million in Safe Streets and Roads for All grants as part of a larger national program aimed at reducing the rising number of road deaths. bottom.
The grant, announced Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, is funding one construction project to improve road safety in Vineland and 10 planning grants statewide. Overall, he was awarded $800 million in grants for 510 projects through the new Safe Streets and Roads for All competitive grant program.
The purpose of the grant program is to: This will reach record levels in the United States and New Jersey in 2021, with the state approaching those levels in 2022. New Jersey State Police set the latest death toll for 2022 at 699 as of Wednesday.
State road traffic casualties in 2022 will surpass 2021 fatalities, with 697 people killed in crashes and crashes, the highest since 2007. National figures for 2022 are still being tallied.
The Safe Roads for All program grant supports the Federal DOT’s vision of zero road deaths and the National Roadway Safety Strategy launched in January 2022 to make the nation’s roads safer.
New Jersey’s only construction grant is $20 million for improved safety and rehabilitation of Chestnut Avenue in Vineland. This grant will fund improvements to his 2.3-mile corridor on Chestnut Avenue between Route 47 and the highway.
Plans call for improved separation of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians to reduce collisions. It does this by converting a four-lane road into his three-lane section with two-way left turn lanes. Provide lighting, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks, and bike lanes. Lighting that enhances visibility at pedestrian crossings. modernized traffic lights; and sidewalk restoration, according to USDOT officials.
Vinland Mayor Anthony Fanucci said, “The work required is substantial and without this grant would impose a serious financial burden on Vineland taxpayers.” . Bicycle and pedestrian safety along this portion of Chestnut Avenue>
He said there were more than 660 accidents on that stretch between 2012 and 2016.
USDOT has awarded 10 action plan grants to improve road safety in the Borough of Dunnellen, Atlantic City, Cape May, Paterson and Medford Townships. Four counties—Essex, Hudson-Monmouth, and Union—and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority will receive the grant.
Planning grants will help communities without road safety plans to reduce road deaths by developing a comprehensive set of actions, USDOT officials said.
Two New Jersey senators said the subsidy program was one of the reasons they supported a larger federal infrastructure law in November 2021.
“This investment in improving our streets and roadways means improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists across the state,” Senator Robert Menendez said in a statement.
USDOT also launched a data visualization tool that shows crash hotspots to help agencies narrow down needed resources. This interactive he map allows everyone to focus on the deadly collision on the map.
“We must make our roads safer for everyone who uses them,” said U.S. Senator Cory Booker.
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To contact Larry Higgs: [email protected].