Press Releases
Larsen: Federal Grants Help Northwest Washington Communities Build Safer Streets for All
Everett, WA,
February 1, 2023
Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of $5,463,563 in grant funding for three local projects aimed at improving road safety for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists. In 2021, 38 percent of all traffic fatalities in Washington state involved a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcyclist.
EVERETT, WA – Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of $5,463,563 in grant funding for three local projects aimed at improving road safety for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists. In 2021, 38 percent of all traffic fatalities in Washington state involved a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcyclist. USDOT awarded $800 million to 510 communities in Washington state and across the country as part of the Safer Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) initiative, which was established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. SS4A invests $5 billion over five years in regional, local and Tribal initiatives to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Northwest Washington communities have the resources needed to develop comprehensive action plans to expand safe and reliable transportation options for all people,” said Larsen, the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “I look forward to continued partnership with local communities, regional stakeholders and Tribes to identify and invest in projects that keep people and the economy moving and improve safety outcomes and accessibility for all travelers.” SS4A Funding for Northwest Washington Projects Three local projects received a total of $5,463,563 in the first round of SS4A grants to develop comprehensive safety action plans:
What Local Stakeholders Are Saying Josh Brown, Executive Director, Puget Sound Regional Council “We look forward to working in close partnership with Everett and the other jurisdictions funded by the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant to create regional and local safety plans that will move us toward the important goal of reaching zero traffic fatalities by 2030. We are grateful to Representative Larsen and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg for these critical resources provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will help us advance safety goals across our region.” Melanie Bacon, Executive Board Chair, Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization “The Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization looks forward to developing a comprehensive plan to make our community safer for all who use our roadways, including bikers and pedestrians as well as those who drive motorcycles and vehicles. We are very grateful that the Department of Transportation has awarded us this grant to plan our Safe Streets For All project. These funds will be well-spent designing a safer roadway future, and we are confident that our citizens and visitors will be delighted with the final result.” Hugh Conroy, Director of Planning, Whatcom Council of Governments “Like the State of Washington, our region has adopted the Target Zero goal of eliminating fatalities on our transportation system by 2030. Funding from the SS4A program will help Whatcom County’s local governments broaden collaborations across our community and identify new ways to reduce fatal and serious-injury crashes. We’re excited to be getting the resources to support much better outreach and involvement of new partners in a planning effort dedicated to improving safety. We’ve known we need to work more closely with community members, educational institutions, first responders, and others on innovative strategies to reduce crashes. The SS4A funding sets us up to do that. With the completion of a federally approved Safety Action Plan, which this funding is for, individual jurisdictions will be eligible to apply for SS4A implementation funding.” Next Opportunity for SS4A Funding USDOT expects the Fiscal Year 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to open in the spring for the second round of SS4A grants. To be notified when additional information is available, click here. ### |
