Peoria City Council approved $195,235 in grant funding from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for public safety, Sept. 13.

The funds are broken down into four grants, which will go to
DUI/impaired driving enforcement, pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement and education, selective traffic enforcement programs, and motorcycle safety training and education.

The following is a breakdown of the specifics.

Pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement and education: Funding in the amount of $34,710 has been provided to support personnel services (overtime) and materials and supplies (bike helmets). This funding includes back-to-school and school bus zone enforcement projects, partnering with the Peoria Unified School District to identify school bus loading and passing violations, and holding bike safety events throughout the year.

Selective traffic enforcement programs: Funding in the amount of $55,655 has been provided to support personnel services (overtime) and materials and supplies (speed detection devices) to enhance STEP enforcement throughout the city of Peoria. Traffic services and speed control are the focus of these STEP programs.

Motorcycle safety training and education: Funding in the amount of $14,152 has been provided to support personnel services (overtime) to enhance motorcycle safety training and education throughout the City of Peoria. This funding will allow personnel to educate both novice and experienced riders about inherent safety concerns surrounding the operation of motorcycles. This will be done by providing classroom and hands-on instruction to motorcycle operators in a controlled environment.

These grants provide funding through September of 2023. Media releases emphasizing the importance of these programs and specifying that funding is provided by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety will be developed and distributed as needed.