On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the City of Dallas would receive $21.8 million towards community roadway safety and addressing the preventable crisis of deaths on the road.
“We are so thrilled by the announcement of this grant for the City of Dallas and specifically the southern Dallas community – enormous thanks to our Congressional leadership as well as our partnering agencies for their efforts,” said Councilmember Adam Bazaldua, who represents the area. “Knowing this significant investment will bring enhanced safety, community connection and growth, this is a great step towards bringing a streetcar to the area.”
The City of Dallas has committed to Vision Zero, an initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities and reduce severe injury crashes. The Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was identified as having among the highest rates of fatal and severe injury crashes involving pedestrians in both the City of Dallas Vision Zero Action Plan and the North Central Texas Council of Government’s Regional Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. In the past two years alone, five pedestrians have been severely injured in traffic collisions along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
This award will help the city address crash rates and pedestrian safety by implementing safety treatments like reduced lanes with separated bike lanes to lower speeds, improved crosswalks, lighting upgrades, traffic signal enhancements and enhanced access to transit. It will be a transformational project in a historically underserved neighborhood, in support of the City’s Racial Equity Plan.
This award would not have been possible without the support of many individuals and organizations, including the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), St. Phillips School and Community Center, the Real Estate Council, DART and the Federal Highway Administration. The project includes $5.25 million in matching funds from the City, as well as $200,000 from DART for bus shelter upgrades.“The City of Dallas is grateful to our partners for their initial work to secure these funds,” said City Manager T.C. Broadnax. “It’s a great day for mobility and safety improvements for the pedestrians of Dallas, and we look forward to getting this project underway.”
