OKC receives grant to reduce fatalities on City streetsPost Date:02/03/2023 8:29 AM
Oklahoma City was awarded an $800,000 Action Plan Grant this week from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
This grant, combined with $200,000 in matching funds from the City, will fund the creation of a detailed plan to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries to drivers, transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists.
"Everyone deserves safe streets and sidewalks, regardless of where you live in Oklahoma City,” said City Manager Craig Freeman. “Our plan will prioritize accessibility in street design for people of all abilities.”
The grant is part of the DOT’s bipartisan Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
The plan is expected to take 18 months to develop. Residents will be able to weigh in through surveys and meetings over the next year.
“The Planning, Public Works, and Police Departments, along with EMBARK, will collaborate on a holistic, well-defined Vision Zero Action Plan to prevent deaths on City streets,” added Freeman. "This research, combined with public engagement, will help us identify future infrastructure projects.”
Between 2016 and 2020, there were 402 vehicle-involved fatalities on Oklahoma City streets. With a fatality rate of 12.3 per 1,000 people, Oklahoma City ranks fourth highest behind Jacksonville (15.7), Dallas (13.7) and Phoenix (12.6).
“Roadway deaths are preventable,” said Planning Director Geoff Butler. “Among other things, the Vision Zero Action Plan will identify our most dangerous streets and recommend strategies and design improvements to make them safer.”
Oklahoma City maintains more than 3,590 miles of streets and more than 12,580 traffic signals. Oklahoma City is 621 square miles, three times larger than Tulsa at 186 square miles. Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, San Francisco, Manhattan and Pittsburgh can all fit in OKC’s city limits.
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