The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Alachua County $262,500 for implementing the "Alachua County Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan." The Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program is a new funding category created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Alachua County applied for the Grant in September 2022, and awards were made public on February 1, 2023.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan will help Alachua County identify systemic safety deficiencies in our transportation network, develop policies and plans to address those deficiencies, and create a safer transportation system for all users. The Plan will include substantial outreach to all system users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers of motor vehicles. Additionally, the County will collaborate with its municipalities to develop equitable solutions to transportation safety concerns within those communities.
Once completed, the Action Plan will serve as a basis for further applications for State and Federal funding and guide local investment in safe transportation network improvements on the County's roadway network. Further, the Plan will help to identify transparent progress reporting mechanisms so that the effectiveness of proposed improvements can be evaluated.
"The announcement of a 'Safe Streets and Roads for All' Action Plan grant could not come at a more meaningful time for Alachua County," said Alachua County Transportation Planning Manager Chris Dawson. "In light of several recent deaths of people walking and biking in our community, the Alachua County and City of Gainesville Commissions have declared a Traffic Violence Crisis. This grant represents a tremendous opportunity for the County to better understand the underlying and systemic causes of this crisis and address them through an action plan – including projects, policies, and programs – and subsequent project implementation. We cannot wait to get started on this important work."
