Queen Creek receives $360K federal road safety grant

Queen Creek is receiving a $360,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration to implement a road safety plan.

The Queen Creek Town Council unanimously voted to approve the grant during its Oct. 16 meeting. The grant was part of the council’s consent agenda in which all items are voted on in one motion unless a council member or staff member asks that an item be removed for a separate discussion and vote.

The grant will allow the town to set up a Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action plan. The project will cost $450,000 and under the terms of the grant, Queen Creek will contribute a 20% match of $90,000, a council staff report stated.

“This program aims to support local and regional efforts to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries by providing funding for planning, infrastructure improvements, and other safety initiatives,” the report continued.

Safety action plans include the following components:

• Assessment of existing roadway conditions, traffic patterns, accident history and safety challenges.

• Clear, measurable goals and objectives aimed at reducing traffic-related fatalities and injuries.

• Specific projects and initiatives designed to address identified safety issues, including infrastructure improvements, policy changes and educational campaigns.

• A detailed timeline and spending plan for implementing proposed actions and projects.

• A framework for evaluating the effectiveness of implemented strategies and making adjustments as needed based on ongoing data and feedback.

“The grant we are being awarded, in addition to the safety action plan, includes funding to conduct temporary demonstration activities for safety issues identified during the planning process. Examples of demonstration projects may consist of such things as traffic calming, protected bike lanes, or similar,” according to the report.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org.