Metroplan awarded $700,000 for transportation safety plan

Metroplan has been awarded $700,000 from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All Program for a Regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.

The grant was announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as part of $800 million in grant awards for 510 projects through the first round of funding.

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) is a U.S. Department of Transportation Program authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. SS4A supports regional, local, and Tribal initiatives to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.

Central Arkansas’ plan will study crash hotspots throughout the four-county region covering Faulkner, Lonoke, Pulaski, and Saline counties and recommend countermeasures to prevent fatalities and serious injuries.

“The Regional Safety Action plan will address unique urban safety issues within Central Arkansas. The plan will focus on multi-modal transportation that includes transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure in addition to critical roadway locations,” said Metroplan’s interim director Casey Covington.

The adoption of a safety action plan will make cities and counties in Central Arkansas eligible to apply for implementation grants through the SS4A program in the future.

Metroplan is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the four-county region of Faulkner, Lonoke, Pulaski, and Saline counties.