Fetterman and Casey secure tens of millions in funding for road safety projects
The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Joe Biden signed in 2021.
Pennsylvania Democratic Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman announced on Sept. 5 that they had helped secure more than $27.4 million in federal funding to improve road safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians throughout the commonwealth.
The funding came from the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, a $5 billion discretionary program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed in 2021. The Safe Streets and Roads for All program has already awarded $2.7 billion in funding for projects in all 50 states, according to the Department of Transportation.
A total of $15.9 million of the funding Casey and Fetterman helped secure will go to State College, Pennsylvania, to make Calder Way, a main corridor of the college town that is home to Penn State University, safer for students and residents. The money will help convert the corridor into a curbless street with wider sidewalks and a new bike lane. Funds will also improve crosswalk visibility.
“Calder Way is one of Penn State’s main streets and students and residents rely on it everyday to get across town on foot or by car,” Casey said in a news release. “With slower cars speeds, wider sidewalks, and an additional bike lane, these improvements will make Calder Way safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.”
Casey and Fetterman announced that the city of Philadelphia will receive $7.2 million to craft a Pedestrian Safety and Sidewalk Improvement Plan to help slow down traffic at 40 schools across the city, while the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission was awarded $1.5 million to conduct a safety analysis in high-injury corridors.
“Too often, our most vulnerable communities are left behind when it comes to street safety. With this award, we’re ensuring that every corner of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, no matter the zip code, gets the attention it deserves,” Fetterman said in a news release.
The city of Harrisburg will get nearly $1 million in funding to reduce traffic fatalities by retiming traffic signals at 25 intersections in the downtown area.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said that Harrisburg “presently suffers worsening signal-related safety issues, and poorly timed traffic intervals lead to driver and pedestrian confusion. The project retimes the downtown network, creates consistent leading pedestrian intervals, updates pedestrian clearance times, and implements innovative strategies to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit. The entire proposed project area occurs within underserved communities.”
Lower Paxton Township will get nearly $1.4 million to conduct road safety audits, while the borough of Gettysburg is getting $120,000 to craft a road safety action plan.
The city of Pittsburgh will receive $1.3 million to conduct and implement road safety audits.
“This funding will allow the City of Pittsburgh to conduct a safety audit on ten of the most dangerous roads in Pittsburgh and begin to implement safety measures to make our roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike,” Casey said in a news release. “When we passed the infrastructure law, I fought to make sure we were making our infrastructure safer for communities, and I will always fight to keep Pennsylvanians safe.”
