The city of Seattle’s traffic safety plan is receiving a boost through an expected $25.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The federal grant is dedicated to traffic safety projects in underserved neighborhoods with higher rates of fatal and serious injury crashes. The city applied for the DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant in 2021 to help fund traffic safety improvements. The city announced it had received the grant Jan. 30.
Seattle’s Vision Zero plan looks to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. The city added in its statement that projects will be undertaken in the Downtown, South Downtown, Rainier Valley and University Districts.
The Center Square previously reported that since 2015, around 1,200 Seattleites have been seriously injured. A total of 175 were killed in a traffic crash through June 2022, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.
The current year has already seen cases of traffic deaths as well, including an instance where a Seattle police officer hit and killed a 23-year-old college student in the South Lake Union District on Jan. 23.
“This ‘Safe Streets’ grant means we will accelerate efforts to improve and innovate our sidewalks and streets, especially in underserved and disproportionately impacted communities,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement. “From calming traffic on high-crash streets to helping families safely walk and bike to school, we must do everything we can to reverse the heartbreaking trend of people being injured on our streets.”
The city intends to use the $25.6 million through new sidewalks, speed cushions, flashing beacons for street crossing, more curb ramps and curb bump-outs, and protected bicycle lanes.
“Community members have shown me many locations where they want safety improvements; this grant will enable [the Seattle Department of Transportation] to improve sidewalks, crosswalks and signals using a Safe Systems approach,” said Seattle Department of Transportation Director Greg Spotts.
Seattle’s 2023 budget also has $8.3 million dedicated to projects that intend to make traffic safety improvements near schools within the city.
Abby Andrews