Safe Streets and Roads for All Case Studies
Photo by Anthony Le
In the second year (Fiscal Year 2023) of the Safe Streets and Roads for All federal funding program, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded grants to dozens of projects across the country—98% of which included bicycle and pedestrian elements and 30% included a focus on connecting infrastructure to routine destinations like businesses and schools, recognizing that low-stress active transportation routes are critical for safety.
The following project grantees stand out as strong examples of communities/regions investing in safe, connected, off-road walking and bicycling infrastructure. These projects demonstrate that trails and other traffic-separated facilities are essential to increasing safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
FY 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All Case Studies
Casper Rail Trail: Shining the Light on Safety
Project At A Glance
- Submitted By: City of Casper
- Location: Casper, Wyoming
- Project type: Implementation
- Urban/Rural: Rural
- Amount awarded: $1,215,324
- Title: Shining the Light on Safety
Note: This grant has been awarded by USDOT but not yet been accepted by the City of Casper. Please check back for updates.
If accepted, this project will improve pedestrian mobility and safety alongside the downtown portion of the 6-mile Casper Rail Trail. This trail connects businesses to neighborhood staples but lacks sufficient lighting and safety features, particularly at crossings. This project’s safety measures, which include pedestrian refuge islands, curb ramps and new sidewalks, will ensure that this rail trail remains an important, accessible and equitable mobility option and source of connectivity for the city and broader region. Beth Andress, Supervisor for the Casper Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, says improvements are crucial because the rail-trail system “connects neighborhoods to the heart of the community and serves as the bike/ped hub of downtown Casper.”
The Casper Rail Trail is part of the Great American Rail Trail®, the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail and one of RTC’s signature projects. This implementation grant provides an important opportunity to make critical safety upgrades along this corridor and helps ensure that residents and visitors alike can use the Casper Rail Trail to connect to destinations safely and accessibly.
Virginia Beach Trail Phase 1: A Regional Connector
Project At A Glance
- Submitted By: City of Viginia Beach
- Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Project type: Implementation
- Urban/Rural: Urban
- Amount awarded: $14,900,000
This project will create a new three-mile traffic-separated section of the Virginia Beach Trail. This segment will address active transportation network gaps by providing a new connection between Downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Town Center, which will create a safe route for vulnerable road users. SS4A funding moves Virginia Beach one step closer to completing the proposed 12-mile trail project that has been included in the city’s transportation plan since 1981.
According to Steve Lambert, an Active Transportation Planner for the City of Virginia Beach, “the region has had a phenomenal group of advocates and city staff having important conversations and building the momentum we have today.” He also mentioned that various trail groups in the region “advocate for the Virginia Beach Trail because they recognize the value of a connected network.” In addition to receiving SS4A funding, the City of Virginia Beach was granted $902,000 from Dominion Energy and $750,000 through a HUD grant supported by former Member of Congress Representative Elaine Luria. Upon completion, the trail will link universities, businesses and underserved communities to the trail corridor, encourage more walking and biking and create mobility options.
Baltimore City Complete Streets Demonstration Program
Project At A Glance
- Submitted By: Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT)
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
- Project type: Planning & Demonstration
- Urban/Rural: Urban
- Amount awarded: $9,920,000
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) received a $9,920,000 Planning & Demonstration Grant to support the Baltimore City Complete Streets Demonstration Program. Baltimore was one of the first cities to codify Complete Streets in 2018, and they released an updated Complete Streets manual in 2021. This demonstration grant will pilot several recommendations from the action plan that is being developed through a previously awarded SS4A grant. The demonstration grant will also pilot new strategies that aim to expedite and improve the planning process for transportation safety projects.
With this funding, BCDOT plans to implement pop-up Complete Streets projects on the City’s high-injury network. While the pop-ups are in place, they will receive public feedback and make design changes in real time. BCDOT is investigating whether this planning method can allow the agency to finalize and construct quick build projects within 18 months. One pilot strategy includes temporary lane and street closures along the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network once a month for 6 months as part of the Baltimore Greenway Ciclovia program. The funding will also support a comprehensive communications campaign to spread awareness of BCDOT’s safety initiatives, sensor data collection to measure behavior change throughout the projects, and a team of paid residents to help implement, monitor, and communicate about the projects. Shayna Rose, City Planner for the Baltimore Department of Transportation, mentioned the demonstration grant gives the city the opportunity to be innovative and creative and change the way they usually plan and implement projects.
FY 2022 Safe Streets and Roads for All Case Studies
Beltline in Atlanta: Central and Pryor Safe Streets Corridors
Project At A Glance
- Submitted by: City of Atlanta, Georgia
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Project Type: Capital/Implementation
- Urban/Rural: Urban
- Amount Awarded: $30,000,000
The $30 million grant will fund pedestrian and bike improvements along the Pryor Street and Central Avenue corridors, including new protected bike lanes, pedestrian hybrid beacons, crosswalk lighting, safe speed-limit strategies, edge lines and additional safety improvements. According to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, more than 2,000 traffic crashes have occurred on Central and Pryor in the last five years, making this funding extremely significant for the community. The project also represents a major expansion of Atlanta’s current bicycling network. Additionally, the project will connect the Southside of Atlanta and the Southside Beltline trail to Atlanta’s downtown, which will promote connectivity and expand Atlanta’s current bike network.
SS4A Implementation Grant to Advance Engineering and Construction of Providence, RI’s Urban Trail Network
Project At A Glance
- Submitted by: City of Providence
- Location: Providence, Rhode Island
- Project Type: Capital/Implementation
- Urban/Rural: Urban
- Amount Awarded: $27.2 million
The City of Providence’s Urban Trail Network is one piece of the larger Great Streets Initiative, which aims to make every street in Providence safe, clean, healthy, inclusive and vibrant. By developing the Urban Trail Network, Providence aims to connect every city neighborhood to a shared-use path system. It will also unite many individual projects, including City Walk and the Woonasquatucket Greenway Extension Project. This project will create last-mile connections to residential, employment and cultural activity centers between the city’s 25 neighborhoods while significantly reducing fatal and serious crashes for vulnerable road users. The trails are a combination of on-road and road-adjacent protected bicycle lanes and shared-use trails, neighborhood greenways on low-volume streets, and off-road shared-use paths.
Salisbury Vision Zero Rapid Safety Improvements
Project At A Glance
- Submitted by: City of Salisbury
- Location: Salisbury, Maryland
- Project Type: Capital/Implementation
- Urban/Rural: Rural
- Amount Awarded: $11,753,587
This project is part of Salisbury’s larger Vision Zero Policy plan, which they aim to achieve by 2030. City Administrator Julia Glanz says those dollars will be used in several projects that together include more 21 miles of sidewalk infrastructure, new crossing signals and crosswalks, additional traffic calming measures, nearly 4.5 miles of side paths along arterial streets to infill gaps in the network, and more.
“This money really is an equity grant to provide sidewalks in every neighborhood, safe ways to go to work and school, and to just get about your day,” Glanz said. Along with that grant funding comes a local and state match of nearly $3 million. Salisbury’s Vision Zero Action has a total planning and design cost of 15 million.
Related: Salisbury Receives $12M Grant Supporting Vision Zero Plan for Safe Streets | 47 ABC-WMDT
South Avenue Safe Streets
Project At A Glance
- Submitted by: City of Missoula
- Location: Missoula, Montana
- Project Type: Capital/Implementation
- Urban/Rural: Rural
- Amount Awarded: $9,311,254
This project will enhance safety, improve accessibility and provide equitable transportation by implementing multiple safety improvements in Missoula. The project will build separated bicycle lanes and sidewalks, as well as extend and widen the existing shared-use path to better serve the schools, regional park and other facilities. By adding safe options for nonmotorized travel, this project will create and improve connections to places people want to bike and walk to and help more residents visit and access the area’s amenities.
