Governor Kathy Hochul announced $90 million is now available to help local governments enhance safety and reduce fatalities on their roads.
It’s not glamorous, but it is necessary and so important for the safety of children and families as they navigate our roadways whether in a vehicle or on foot or bicycle.
New York’s “Safe System” approach toward zero deaths is being deployed by the State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to reduce fatalities on all highway systems across the state. In New York, about 40% of crash fatalities occur when a vehicle strays from its lane.
The program is aimed at reducing the severity of crashes that result from vehicles inadvertently straying from their lanes. The initiative is part of a multi-year, multi-agency action plan released last year by the New York State Department of Transportation to reduce such incidents and minimize the injuries and fatalities that result from them.
“Safe highways save lives and through the adoption of a ‘Safe System’ approach, we are holistically looking at our highway systems to see where our safety investments can make the biggest difference in reducing fatalities,” Governor Hochul said. “The funding we are making available today will help local governments design and implement projects that will enhance the safety of their roadways and make it more likely that drivers reach their destination unharmed.”
Local governments may use the funds for but are not limited to, enhanced striping, curve warning signs, rumble strips and median barriers. The funding compliments an additional $90 million that has also been set aside for NYSDOT to make safety enhancements on roads in the state highway system.
A portion of the funds — about $10 million — has been set aside to support local municipalities in developing Local Road Safety Plans, which identify and analyze problem areas and prioritize potential safety improvements.
The following entities are eligible to sponsor a project:
- Counties, towns, villages, and Native Nations
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations
- Counties interested in sponsoring a project on behalf of one or more municipalities within their county are also eligible to apply.