Municipalities nationwide are taking advantage of grant programs to expand accommodations for pedestrians and increase their walkability scores with enhanced safety infrastructure. High walkability rankings have been directly linked to economic development and higher quality of life for residents.
Glen Falls
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Glens Falls, New York, with a $480,000 grant to create safer pathways between a local school and YMCA facility. Glens Falls will use the funding to build out an off-road pedestrian and bicycle path connecting the elementary school and the YMCA, the Post Star reported.
Currently, there is a single roadway between the school and YMCA for pedestrians and cyclists use. The traffic on the road, however, often drivers exceed than the speed limit making the passageway less desirable for pedestrians. Glens Falls will improve this thoroughfare by extending the width of the existing sidewalks and creating 8-foot-wide mixed-use paths that take users off the roadside and away from traffic, the Post Star reported.
Waynesboro
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is distributing $150,924 in federal funding to Waynesboro to install more flashing beacons along roadways were pedestrian crossings occur. The grant is provided by the USDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program.
Waynesboro is working to cut down on the number of pedestrian accidents being reported along common crossways by adding additional flashing lights to warn drivers of pedestrian presence. In 2013, six people were hit by motorists in Waynesboro, and seven have occurred thus far in 2014, Public Opinion reported.
When a pedestrian wants to cross a busy street, he or she can press a button to activate the flashing, solar-powered pedestrian crossing signs. There are also talks of installing sensors on busy crosswalks that would trigger the signs when a pedestrian enters the area, not relying on the walker to press the button. According to local police, pedestrians and motorists alike must be aware of their surroundings at busy crossways to avoid accidents, Public Opinion reported.
Long Beach
The New York Department of Transportation has awarded Long Beach a $1 million grant to redesign a major roadway so pedestrians and cyclists have easier access to the train station and nearby boardwalk. The grant will renovate a boulevard that connects the beach and downtown center where foot traffic and cyclist volume is high, Newsday reported.
Long Beach officials agreed to add bike lanes, improve existing sidewalks and add flood prevention landscaping along the boulevard with the available funding. The grant will account for 80 percent of the project cost, while the remaining 20 percent will come from the city’s public works capital fund. The award to Long Beach is part of a $70 million statewide grant program dedicated to making municipalities more pedestrian and bike-friendly. The funding is provided by the New York Department of Transportation in collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration.
Pedestrian-Focused Grants
Gov1 has followed a growing number of federal grants designated for projects aimed at making communities more pedestrian-friendly.