Southeast Texas to receive $4 million to create ‘Safety Action Plan’ to eliminate deadly crashes

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Federal dollars will soon start pouring into southeast texas to research safety improvements on our roadways.

One of the largest grants in the recent U.S. Department of Transportation announcement is going to the Houston-Galveston area Council. It is receiving $4 million to create “Safety Action Plans” to eliminate deadly crashes.

The H-GAC Assistant Director of Transportation, Allie Isbell, says the region desperately needs to focus on more than just reducing crashes but also reducing wreck severity.

“Nearly one in six fatalities over the last five years were bicyclist or pedestrian fatalities that occurred due to a crash. So that’s a large number, and this Safety Action Plan and the safety systems approach will look at our transportation network as a whole,” Isbell said.

The council will use the money to partner with Waller County, METRO, Gulf Coast Rail District, Conroe, Friendswood, La Marque, League City, Missouri City, Pearland, Sugar Land, and Galveston.

Federal money is also heading to the East End District. The district includes neighborhoods like the Second Ward, Magnolia Park, and Eastwood.

The East End District says it will use the $603,000 grant to take a high-level look at what could make these neighborhoods safer.

The grant money will allow the East End District to research street use, railroad, METROrail safety, and safety for cyclists and walkers. The district says it will see what the data tells them about necessary safety improvements.

The city of Houston also won a 30 million dollar grant for safety improvements that have long been needed along that corridor.

A timeline has yet to be released for when the money will be received, but both H-GAC and the East End District say there will be many opportunities for public feedback along the way, so Eyewitness News will keep you posted.