PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is asking for $5 million in federal funding to help make streets safer to drive, walk or cycle on.
The grant application announced on Tuesday aims to help 29 municipalities develop plans that will reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users. R.I. Public Transit Authority is leading the application for the grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, with free technical assistance from CompeteRI and The Partnership for Rhode Island. Gov. Daniel J. McKee and the R.I. Department of Transportation are also backing the proposal.
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If approved, the funding would help make streets safer for more than 1 million Rhode Islanders, including 65,000 people in “underserved communities,” the release stated. The proposal builds upon the state’s transit master plan, as well as RIPTA’s goals, to improve transportation in all forms statewide.
Rhode Island ranked 34th among states for the number of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people, with the ninth-largest percentage increase in pedestrian fatalities as of 2020, according to a report by Smart Growth America cited in the state’s announcement.
Participating municipalities are:
- Barrington
- Bristol
- Burrillville
- Central Falls
- Cranston
- Cumberland
- East Greenwich
- Foster
- Glocester
- Hopkinton
- Johnston
- Lincoln
- Little Compton
- Middletown
- Narragansett
- New Shoreham
- Newport
- North Kingstown
- North Providence
- Pawtucket
- Portsmouth
- Richmond
- Smithfield
- South Kingstown
- Warren
- West Greenwich
- West Warwick
- Westerly
- Woonsocket
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
