CITY AWARDED $200K THROUGH THE U.S. DOT SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL GRANT PROGRAM

(Charleston, W. Va.) – Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin today announced the City of Charleston has been awarded $200k through the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.  The SS4A Grant Program is aimed at improving roads and addressing traffic fatalities.

“Safety on our roadways is paramount – whether you’re driving, cycling, or walking. This federal funding will allow Charleston to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “We appreciate the support of Senator Manchin and Senator Capito, as well as our community partners: Charleston Area Alliance, Charleston Main Streets, and the Regional Intergovernmental Council as we work to make our roadways safer.”

The City of Charleston will partner with community stakeholders to develop a cost-effective, data driven action plan to address safety and equity gaps. Plan components will include:

• Identifying priority intersections with the largest safety concerns.
• Implementing low-cost safety enhancements including striping, lighting, and vegetation removal.
• Prioritizing ADA accessible infrastructure.
• Planning a complete streets approach, including vehicle speed reduction, bicycle lanes, median islands, and transit connections. 
• Reconnecting communities in the Triangle District – a neighborhood disconnected by the construction of Interstate 64 in the 1970’s.
• Supporting the City’s QAlert system which allows residents to report safety concerns.
• Building upon the 2021 U.S. DOT RAISE Planning Grant award for the Capital Connector Project – a corridor that has the City’s two most unsafe intersections.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded 473 action plan grants and 37 grants for implementation projects in this first round of the program. Action plan grants assist communities that do not currently have a roadway safety plan in place to reduce roadway fatalities, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive set of actions. Implementation grants provide funding for communities to implement strategies and projects that will reduce or eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries. 

The SS4A program grants support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy: a comprehensive approach launched in January 2022 to make our nation’s roadways safer for everyone, including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency and construction workers, by stressing responsible driving, safer roadway designs, appropriate speed-limit setting, and improved post-crash care, among other strategies.