Biden administration announces $67 million for Florida to improve roads
MIAMI - Florida will receive $67 million in federal grants to improve the safety of streets and intersections, under funding announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Overall, hundreds of cities and counties across the U.S. will receive a share of over $800 million. The grants generally are intended to promote safety for multiple roadway users, including motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
"This investment comes at an important junction as traffic fatalities reached a 16-year high in 2021 and preliminary data indicates will remain near those levels in 2022, even getting worse for people walking, biking, or rolling as well as incidents involving trucks," according to a DOT statement.
Nearly 43,000 people are estimated to have died in vehicle traffic crashes in 2021, according to data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That was an increase of nearly one-third over the past decade.
The competitive grant program, established by President Biden's historic infrastructure law, provides $5 billion over five years for regional, local, and Tribal initiatives, from redesigned roads to better sidewalks and crosswalks, to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation's roadways.
"Every year, crashes cost tens of thousands of American lives and hundreds of billions of dollars to our economy; we face a national emergency on our roadways, and it demands urgent action," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "We are proud that these grants will directly support hundreds of communities as they prepare steps that are proven to make roadways safer and save lives."
Florida received three awards for implementation projects in this first round of the program. They're going to Tampa, Hillsborough County, and Gainesville.
Thirty-four action planning grants were also awarded to help improve roadway safety in Florida. South Florida recipients include Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, Key West, Miami Beach, North Miami Beach, Opa-locka, and the Village of Palmetto Bay.
The next funding opportunity of $1.1 billion is expected to be released in April.
