Latest news with #SafetyActionPlan
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Folly Beach City Council to vote on new transportation and traffic safety action plan
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – Officials are expected to present the Folly Beach safety action plan to city council, after a year in the making. The city has been working with consultants at Kimley-Horn since June 2024, to address growing safety concerns on the island. The transportation and traffic safety action plan highlights four main goals – encourage safer speeds, maintain the city's culture, improve communication and coordination, and serve a diverse population. 'This is the first time we've had a comprehensive plan that shows the areas we need to target on the entire island – to make the island safer,' Jenna Stephens, zoning administrator of Folly Beach, said. The engineers analyzed data from 2017-2023 and found the city averages around 85 crashes per year. According to the study, a majority of the crashes included pedestrians and bicyclists. Though most of them were non-fatal, the city plans to address this issue. Folly Beach held two public input meetings open to residents and people who visit the island regularly. Around 250 people participated, with many saying they felt uncomfortable traveling around by foot or on a bike. Transportation advocacy groups like the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) and Charleston Moves also attended. In a support letter sent to the city, Katie Zimmerman, executive director of Charleston Moves, said the organization supports the plan and two resolutions to adopt it. 'Charleston Moves has appreciated the opportunities to participate in both the development of the City's Safety Action Plan, as well as the stakeholder meetings and data collection for the Arctic Avenue Plan,' Zimmerman wrote. 'Our region is one of the deadliest in the nation for vulnerable road users, with disproportionate impacts to senior citizens and Black communities. We support your efforts towards a safe and healthy city with a goal of eliminating fatalities and severe injuries from traffic collisions.' City council will vote to approve the safety action plan and to amend a contract to scope out the Arctic Avenue project. The next steps will include applying for the federal 'Safe Streets For All' grant. 'The problems is funding – this plan allows us to qualify for some federal grants and that is the plan right now. To use the safety action plan to apply for the 'Safe Streets For All' grant and to help fund some of our Arctic Avenue infrastructure proposals,' said Stephens. City council will meet at 7 p.m. on June 10. They are expected to vote on two resolutions involving the safety action plan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
County identifies top crash areas in new plan to eliminate fatalities
After researching transportation trends for the past eight months, the Crawford County Planning Office's new initiative puts the county on the fast track for better safety. Its goal is to eliminate all fatalities and serious injuries on county roadways by 2035. Between 2019 and 2023, the county experienced 3,675 crashes on non-interstate roads with 220 incidents resulting in fatal or serious injuries, according to planning office data. The driving force behind the goal came from the county's current comprehensive plan, adopted in 2024, known as Crawford Inspired. To improve public health and quality of life in the area, the plan engaged various stakeholders and community members. Residents reported improved pedestrian, biking and road safety as a necessity. Now, the Safety Action Plan (SAP) provides a comprehensive strategy to enhance safety by identifying systemic safety challenges and 10 high-risk areas in the county. Then, it can establish clear implementation strategies. Crash data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) revealed that 82 percent of severe crashes in the county occurred on just 16 percent of roadways and interstates, leading to a much more location-focused plan of attack. By identifying the top crash locations — like State Route 18 in Conneaut Lake and State Route 27 in Titusville — the county can develop targeted countermeasures. Data also showed that speeding and alcohol impairment while driving were among the highest factors of severe crashes, and one group — motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and horse and buggies — were significantly overrepresented in severe crashes. That data will inform decisions down the road. 'We had a steering committee of 13 individuals including the townships association, boroughs association, CATA [Crawford Area Transportation Authority], folks from PennDOT, Ernst Trail group, the two cities had representation on it and this would allow us to move forward with unlocking some state and federal funding as well as addressing 10 of the most serious/fatal accident locations in Crawford County,' Planning Office Director Zachary Norwood explained to Crawford County commissioners during a work session Wednesday. Norwood told The Meadville Tribune that the plan is catered to adhere to the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. Established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, SS4A must appropriate $5 billion from 2022 to 2026 for regional and local initiatives that prevent roadway fatalities and injuries. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's website, $2 billion of that money remains up for grabs. 'We crafted a plan in alignment with that program to address the concerns and issues we are facing,' Norwood said, noting that there are state programs that they will be eligible for, too. 'We did a plan that will tackle lots of funding streams and give us the tools we need to be successful.' The road to success begins Wednesday as commissioners vote to adopt the plan and its goal. Then, the county will form an SAP coalition, invest in policy reforms and transportation planning, advance engineering projects, launch and support education and enforcement, and build capacity to implement the SAP through staffing and ensure accountability.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bay County Safety Action Plan analyzes dangerous roadways and potential solutions
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay County officials are zeroing in on high-crash roadways and intersections. On Tuesday, June 3, commissioners approved and adopted the Bay County Safety Action Plan. It identifies 100 high-injury locations and outlines tailored engineering solutions. It is a part of Florida's Target Zero Initiative, a statewide effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Some high-risk locations include the Hathaway Bridge, portions of U.S. 98, U.S. 231 and State Road 77. A study from 2019 to 2024 found that 45% of fatal or serious injury crashes occur at night, and 39% occur at signalized intersections in Bay County. A major part of the safety action plan is increasing visibility at high-risk intersections. That includes pedestrian infrastructure upgrades like high-visibility crosswalks. 'We were a rural community. We've grown in a lot of areas that were rural before suburban. Now, some places were suburban or urban. We just go from a standpoint of lighting, and that's something that should not be as costly as certain other improvements. And so, by getting some lights put into certain areas, we're able to improve visibility with traffic flow. We've got a lot of tourists coming into town, just allowing for people to have better visibility and see at night,' District 4 Commissioner Doug Moore said. Other recommendations for reducing accidents include implementing traffic calming measures like roundabouts and speed reductions. Officials are also considering potential increases in signage, applying high friction surface treatments to reduce skidding and improving turn lane structure and signal timing to reduce left-turn and angle crashes. As Bay County continues to grow, the safety action plan will allow for further improvements. 'The safety action plan that's being endorsed today by the commission lays the groundwork for future grant opportunities under that same program. It's required that we complete the safety action plan to start with. And from that point forward, we can design and propose additional projects for which we can receive grant funds,' Bay County Traffic Engineering Division Manager Cliff Johnson said. To learn more about the 100 high injury locations in Bay County and read the safety action plan, click . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
5 named to lead emergency services districts
May 27—Ector County commissioners on Tuesday named the five Ector County residents who will govern the newly-formed Ector County Emergency Services Districts 1 and 2. The May 3 election gave the green light to the creation of Ector County Emergency Districts 1 and 2. Emergency Services District Prop A, (fire) got 762 for and 711 against. For proposition B for EMS, 749 voted for and 704 against. The election imposes a property tax that will be used to fund emergency services for county residents. The approval means a property tax increase for residents outside of the city limits but in Ector County. But it also means the possibility of faster response times for emergency services to those in the far flung areas of Ector County. County Judge Dustin Fawcett previously praised the citizen-led effort to get better emergency services. "It was an incredible effort led by citizens ... about how to solve the issue," he said. "I'm proud of the citizens and this was truly a county-wide effort with the community turning out." The commissioners named Patti Kappauf, Heather Burks, Randy Lightfoot, Kevin Searcy and John Turner to the governing board of the newly-formed district. The five will oversee both the A and B portions of the district. Members will later be elected by residents in the county. Fawcett said eight people applied. Commissioners also heard several presentations including one from a Kimley-Horn representative regarding the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commissions' Safety Action Plan for the Safe Streets for All Program. West County Road and State Highway 385 are both areas with a high number of major accidents. Many are caused by speeding, failure to yield the right of way and cars pulling out of driveways. The representative indicated Ector County and the City of Odessa can eventually apply for federal funding to address some of the areas that are the most deadly. Commissioners also heard a presentation from Brandon Westlake regarding the M-Bar Ranch Energy Project. The project is a wind energy project that sits in both Ector and Andrews counties. The project could be solar and wind and could eventually host a battery storage system or a data center. The group has not yet asked for tax abatements but will address the matter during a future meeting. One project in Andrews is a 240 megawatt for wind and generated almost $1 million in property taxes to Andrews ISD last year. The court also unanimously approved: — An invitation for Bid Specifications for Seal Coat Aggregate II, Project No. 2025-IFB-087. — Awarded for the Diesel-Powered Aircraft Ground Power Unit for IFB No. 2025- IFB-077, to AERO Specialties. — Accepted several grants including the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant to the Ector County Library in the amount of $3,000 for summer reading books to give away. Also, the Texas Library Association/H-E-B Summer At The Library Grant to the Ector County Library in the amount of $1,350. — Commissioners also approved the survey cost/fee estimate associated with the future outer loop and donated land to house the future South Ector Volunteer Fire Department. The land is at FM 866 and Interstate 20. The land was donated by Rockhound Solar. Part of it will also eventually be home to a gun range for the Ector County Sheriff's Department. — Commissioners moved the decision to hire a human resources director to executive session and then in open session named Delia Ortiz to the position. — Commissioners agreed to raise the fees in the Ector County Library Rotary Room and Auditorium as the current rates are from 2003. They agreed to change the fees for the Rotary Room from $7.50/day to $25/hour and to increase the Auditorium from $15/day to $50/hour.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
City announces public meeting to discuss Columbus Safety Action Plan
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — Columbus Consolidated Government announced a public meeting to discuss safety issues faced by the community in order to develop a plan to make roads safer. The meeting is scheduled for May 19 at the Columbus Public Library from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. CCG says the Safety Action Plan is a way to create safer streets through a, 'data-driven process.' The city aims to obtain this data through input by the public and others in order to create solutions tailored to those issues. According to CCG, the final plan will include a list of prioritized projects and policies the city and its partners can pursue. The goal of the project is zero road deaths and severe injuries. The city says a Safe Routes to School plan is also being developed. Funding for the plan is coming from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program. This program provides federal funds for planning, infrastructure, behavioral and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets. CCG says the Safety Action Plan will develop strategies that are consistent with the Safe System Approach. The strategies include: Safe People: A safe system encourages safe and responsible behavior no matter the user's mode of transportation. Safe Speeds: Speed plays a critical role in crash severity. A safe system encourages appropriate speeds, which reduces the likelihood of death and severe injury. Safe Roads: A safe system encourages 'forgiving' roadway design to ensure that even when a road user makes a mistake, that mistake is not likely to be deadly. Safe Vehicles: Cars and trucks that are designed to protect those both in and outside of the vehicle help impact serious injuries in the event of a crash. Post-Crash Care: Improving emergency response times helps improve outcomes for crash victims and creates a safe work environment for first responders. For more information on the plan, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
