Salem Awarded $200K For Road Safety Action Plan

SALEM, MA — Salem is one of 16 Massachusetts communities to share in $30.6 million in federal grants during the first round of 2024 Safe Streets and Roads awards from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The program established through the Federal Infrastructure Bill will pay out approximately $5 billion in funds nationally over the next five years.

Salem will receive $200,000 to develop a comprehensive road safety action plan.

"MassDOT is pleased to work collaboratively with municipal leaders, Metropolitan Area Planning Councils and Regional Planning Agencies to further the goals of Safe Streets for All," said state Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca. "We will continue to support the development of safety action plans and continue to work with our partners to improve the transportation infrastructure to help make travel safer for the public whether people choose to walk, bike, take public transportation or drive."

Comprehensive safety action plans can be developed using the funds based on a Safe Systems Approach, conduct data analyses, and implement projects and strategies that seek to significantly reduce or eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries involving pedestrians, bicyclists, micro-mobility users, motorists, public transportation customers, users of personal conveyance, and commercial vehicle operators.

Awarded funding can also be used to support robust stakeholder engagement in order to ensure that all community members have a voice in developing plans, projects and strategies.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)