Northwest Arkansas, in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities sand accidents, is preparing a safety plan with funding from federal grant money, and a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
The Policy Committee of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission accepted the $400,000 federal grant funding, and the $100,000 from the Walton Family Foundation.
Regional Planning, the designated transportation planning organization for the region, approved developing a comprehensive safety plan using a consulting firm expected to be hired in the coming months.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established the Safe Streets and Roads for All discretionary grant program with $5 billion in grant money available over the next five years, including $1 billion next year. The minimum grant would be $5 million.
Eligible activities for the program include developing or updating a comprehensive safety action plan, holding planning, design, and development activities in support of an action plan, and carrying out projects and strategies identified in an action plan.
According to Elizabeth Bowen, with Regional Planning, the goal locally is to have the regional action plan in place in time to apply for that grant money. Counties, cities, towns, transit agencies, or other state subdivisions can apply for the grants.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced earlier this year the number of deaths on America's roads had reached a 16-year high. Arkansas hasn't seen that amount of increase, but high speed and reckless driving are still killing Arkansans at a higher rate than before the covid-19 pandemic, according to the Arkansas State Police.
On May 17, the Safety Administration announced the number of reported traffic fatalities had risen from 38,824 in 2020 to 42,915 last year. The 10.5% increase makes 2021 the deadliest year on American roads since 2005.
From 2020 to 2021, Arkansas' increase in traffic deaths was about half that, with preliminary fatality reports compiled by the Arkansas Department of Public Safety indicating 651 people died in wrecks last year, up about 5% from 619 killed in 2020.
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Source: USDOT
