Davids Announces New Funding to Improve Road Safety in the Kansas Third

Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced $1.28 million is coming to Kansas' Third District to improve roads and address traffic fatalities in Olathe and Wyandotte County. The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Davids voted to support, to redesign roads and streets to prevent deaths and serious injuries. Last year, Davids released a report examining the state of transportation safety in the Third District of Kansas, which found 21 percent of Kansas' pedestrian crash-related deaths in 2020 happened in the Third District.

"One Kansan loses their life every 20 hours to a motor vehicle accident. These deaths are preventable with the right policy approach," said Davids. "This new bipartisan infrastructure law funding will make streets in Olathe and Wyandotte County safer for everyone, including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency and construction workers."

The City of Olathe will receive $280,000 to support a new action plan with the goal of developing a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries on local roadways. This plan will work alongside their adopted Complete Streets Policy, which promotes public health and welfare through increased opportunities for walking, bicycling, and use of public transit.

"The thousands of families and thousands more visitors using Olathe streets should expect the city to continually and proactively keep our streets safe and our traffic moving," said Tim Danneberg, Director of External Affairs, City of Olathe. "This grant will allow Olathe to have a new plan in place to help make sure Olathe remains incredibly safe for our drivers."

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS will receive $1 million to develop a new, comprehensive Vision Zero safety plan, the number one priority identified in their recently adopted goDotte countywide mobility strategy.

"We are grateful for these federal funds to help us improve access and mobility across our community," said Tyrone A. Garner, CEO/Mayor, Unified Government. "With a Vision Zero action plan, we can do more to prevent severe and fatal crashes which is important to creating a safe, affordable, and reliable system that connects people with jobs and key destinations across the county."

"This $1 million investment in the safety and comfort of Wyandotte County roads is a testament to our holistic, collaborative and inter-jurisdictional approach to transportation planning across the communities of KCK, Bonner Springs, Edwardsville and the City of Lake Quivira," said Gunnar Hand, Director of Planning and Urban Design.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, SS4A is a five-year, $5 billion competitive grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. SS4A plans stress responsible driving, safer roadway designs, appropriate speed-limit setting, and improved post-crash care, among other strategies. The bipartisan infrastructure law is implementing the most comprehensive and holistic approach to improving roadway safety ever. The law is paid for through a combination of new revenues and savings and has been called the most fiscally responsible infrastructure bill in at least a decade by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.