USDOT Issues $1B in Road Safety Grants

The funding is aimed at helping cities plan and implement safety improvement projects to reduce road deaths and major crashes.

1 minute read

September 10, 2024, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Sign above entrance of United States Department of Transportation.

Tada Images / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration announced a new $1 billion round of federal grants targeted at road safety projects, reports Daniel C. Vock in Route Fifty.

The funding from the Department of Transportation (USDOT) will support 345 safety projects. “The list of projects funded through the grants include nearly $10 million to provide telemedicine services to emergency responders in rural Minnesota, $8.1 million for a new roundabout near the campus of Mississippi State University, and $25 million to add ‘complete streets’ features—such as separated bike lanes, curb extensions, raised intersections and extra time for pedestrians to cross—to a major thoroughfare in Milwaukee.”

The grants will fund 70 implementation projects, while the rest are still in the planning stages. According to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, “a lot of communities are now receiving federal funding to write the safety plans that will help to identify and address their most pressing needs, and as they do that, build out that pipeline of projects for the years ahead.”

Thursday, September 5, 2024 in Route Fifty

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Passengers board an Amtrak train under a cloudy sky.

Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement

The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.

September 18, 2026 - Mass Transit

The Gross Reservoir, a large body of water surrounded by trees and mountains.

Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion

Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.

September 18, 2026 - Inside Climate News

A painted bus lane in NYC.

NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades

The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.

September 21 - NYC Streetsblog

A woman looks at a utility bill.

'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide

Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.

September 21 - Smart Cities Dive

A person scuba diving in a coral reef off Guam.

Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies

International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.

September 21 - Grist