Rialto awarded $320,000 from feds to improve roadway safety

Rialto, Calif. – Rialto is among the first communities in the United States to be awarded grant funding under the federal government’s new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, furthering the City Council’s commitment to safer roadways across one of the region’s fastest-growing cities.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg this week announced that Rialto is among 510 SS4R grant awardees across the U.S. and will receive $320,000 to develop a comprehensive safety action plan. Once completed, the plan will position the city to apply for additional SS4R funding to implement specific roadway and pedestrian safety measures.

The competitive grant program is part of the new federal infrastructure law and will provide $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. The program aims to fundamentally change how roadway safety is addressed at the community level through the use of data, technology and comprehensive planning.

“We’re honored to be part of the first group of AA4R grant recipients, which underscores both our commitment to public safety and the importance of Rialto as a population and economic center,” said Mayor Deborah Robertson.

Across the U.S., fatalities reached a 16-year high in 2021 and will remain near those levels in 2022, while getting worse for people walking, biking or rolling as well as incidents involving trucks.

“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,” Buttigieg said.

Said Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott, “The comprehensive safety plan we develop as a result of this funding will make our roadways safer and save lives. As a city, we thrive on finding new, innovative ways to improve the quality of life of our residents.”