2 days ago
'We want safety for all users' as finish nears for Greater Grand Forks' streets plan
Jun. 14—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization will be opening public comment on the final draft of its Safe Streets for All Plan on June 16.
The plan has been in the works for more than a year to identify community needs, actionable steps and projects that Grand Forks and East Grand Forks can take to address traffic safety. The Safe Streets For All, or SS4A, plan isn't just one by the MPO, but a plan for which both cities applied and received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct.
"A lot of work has gone into this, everything from lots of conversations from various entities and organizations across the region, but also just a lot of engagement," Blue Weber of Bolton and Menk, one of the consultants helping with the plan, told the East Grand Forks City Council on June 10. "It's been a blast."
The public will be able to leave comments on the plan's website:
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Once adopted by both cities, the plan will open funding opportunities for safe street improvements, along with potentially making grant and other traffic funding applications stronger. The SS4A program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, which set aside $5 billion in funds between 2022 and 2026 to reduce roadway deaths across the country.
"An important part with the safety action plan with the SS4A funding is to try to bundle some of these projects," Weber told the Grand Forks City Council on June 9. "You never want to just go after one, because this is an awesome, huge pot of money that you really want to try to sell this story of implementing safety within your community."
Since starting the plan in May 2024, seven public engagement events have been held to allow residents to comment
on their priorities for traffic safety and to learn more about the plan.
Those ranged from traditional open houses where people could take in information and ask questions to staff and consultants, to more interactive events, like a walking audit of 17th Avenue South in Grand Forks.
Final adoption of the plan is proposed for sometime in July or August after public comment and both city councils have met in a joint meeting to provide their input. Another in-person engagement event is planned for later in June to allow for more comments.
The plan is split into eight chapters and follows a format similar to other traffic plans that the
MPO has created, like the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
It includes an overview of demographics, peer community reviews, how it was created, data and implementation strategies.
Roads like 32nd Avenue South and Washington Street in Grand Forks and Bygland Road in East Grand Forks received some of the most comments from the public about potential improvements. Additionally, creating better pedestrian and bike connections across Greater Grand Forks was desired.
"This is a community plan. This is not just something that MPO filed for themselves. Both the communities of East Grand Forks and Grand Forks really had to partake in this," Weber said in East Grand Forks. "One of the biggest things that came out of all our engagement with the community is we want safety for all users."
