Baltimore County received a huge boost in its efforts to reduce traffic-related deaths with a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The county was awarded $3.5 million in federal grant money through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, which is administered by USDOT. The aim of SS4A is to enhance road safety and infrastructure, and the county will use the grant to support its ongoing efforts to reduce traffic-related fatalities.
“Investing in our roadways is not just about improving infrastructure, but prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our residents and communities,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “We are grateful to our federal and state partners for supporting these critical planning projects and helping to ensure Baltimore County’s roads are safe for years to come.”
Baltimore County will conduct road safety audits for 17 corridors around the county to identify and mitigate potential road safety hazards. On average in 2019, there was a traffic crash in Baltimore County every 24 minutes, a crash with injuries every 1.5 hours, and a traffic death every six days.
“This grant is a vital resource for Baltimore County, specifically geared towards advancing our road safety initiatives through detailed audits and evaluations,” said D’Andrea Walker, director of the Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation. “It enables us to undertake in-depth studies, assessing the current state of our roads and identifying key areas for future improvements. Our goal is to lay a solid foundation for safer travel in the county through meticulous planning and analysis.”
USDOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program complements Maryland’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2030. The awarding of this grant to Baltimore County is the result of a collaborative effort between local and state agencies to advocate for these funds, according to the press release announcing the grant.
Baltimore County is one of 17 counties and municipalities to receive a portion of Maryland’s more than $28 million in SS4A grants for Fiscal Year 2023.
“In order to create the transportation system that Marylanders deserve, we must work with our citizens, our local officials and our Congressional delegation with unity and focus to deliver safe, equitable access across the state for everyone, whether they drive, ride, or walk,” said Gov. Wes Moore. “These grants help us achieve that goal and help fulfill our mission to lift every community.”
Baltimore County’s mission, as stated in its Strategic Highway Safety Plan involves prioritizing the 4 Es of traffic safety (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS)) to bring the number of traffic-related deaths and severe injuries down to zero.
You can start with cameras around the entire Beltway and the County portion of 83.