WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced federal funding is heading to the cities of Tangent, Milwaukie, and Ashland to develop and update comprehensive road and street safety plans, while investments for Klamath Falls will fund the construction of safety improvements at intersections in the city.
“Whether walking, driving, or biking, Oregonians in every corner of the state deserve safe streets in their communities to get where they need to go,” said Merkley. “These investments for several Oregon cities will lead to safer places in the communities for bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. I will continue working to ensure every Oregonian is able to move about their daily lives conveniently, without fear of accident or injury.”
“Oregonians must be able to count on getting safely from point A to point B in their communities — whether that’s by car, truck or bus as well as on foot or on a bike,” dijo Wyden. “These federal funds will help to achieve that goal, and I’m all in to secure similar transportation safety resources for small towns and larger cities throughout Oregon.”
The modernized road and safety plans will integrate equity and community engagement. They will also align with the requirements for the action plan in the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which was created under the Ley de Infraestructura Bipartidista.
Details of the new Safe Streets and Roads for All awards for the Oregon cities can be found below:
- $2 million for the City of Klamath Falls to design and construct safety improvements at five intersections where there has been a death or serious injury crash. Improvements will include all-way stop conversions, advanced warning beacons and signage, high visibility crosswalks, reflectorized signal backplates, hardened center lines (left turn traffic calming), pedestrian countdown timers, curb extensions, and dedicated left turn bays.
- $320,308 for the City of Tangent in Linn County to develop a comprehensive safety action plan.
- $320,000 for the City of Milwaukie to identify crash hotspots and contributing factors within the Harrison Street corridor. The study will evaluate countermeasures along the corridor to mitigate crashes, promote safety, and provide a roadmap for the community to implement these strategies.
- $280,000 for the City of Ashland to develop a comprehensive safety action plan.
“We are thrilled to announce that the City has been awarded $2 million from the Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program,” said Jonathan Teichert, Klamath Falls City Manager. “This funding will greatly enhance the All Roads Transportation Safety funding we received from the state, enabling us to implement critical safety improvements at key downtown intersections. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our application, including Senators Wyden and Merkley and Rep. Bentz. The Congressional delegation provided invaluable support to secure this grant, which will help us create safer streets for all our residents and visitors.”
“Our City has been working to improve road safety for our residents and neighboring communities in Linn County,” said Mayor of Tangent Loel Trulove, Jr. “We are thrilled to learn about the Safe Street For All grant to be awarded to Tangent and the surrounding communities in Linn County. A special thank you to Susan Patterson from the Cascades Council of Oregon Governments for working with us on this application.”
“The City of Milwaukie is excited for this grant – it will help us begin to tackle the challenges on one of our major arterials, which connects two state highways and crosses two sets of railroad tracks,” said Milwaukie Mayor Lisa Batey. “This funding provides new capacity to look at long-identified traffic safety problem areas, and is an important adjunct to our Safe Access for Everyone (SAFE) program, which since established in 2016 has built over five miles of new sidewalks and separated bike/pedestrian paths in our small city.”
“The City of Ashland is excited to receive the Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan Grant issued by the Department of Transportation,” said Scott Fleury, City of Ashland Public Works Director. “The City and the Transportation Advisory Committee have focused on improving safety for all modes of transportation and the City Council recently supported this action by approving a Vision Zero resolution with the focus of eliminating deaths and serious accidents within the City’s transportation network. This action plan will allow the City to comprehensively address safety throughout the transportation network and align with current community goals.”
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