Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff Announce Over $37 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding for Safer Streets

Localities receiving federal funding include BUCKHEAD, CARROLLTON, COWETA COUNTY, EAST POINT, GWINNETT CCOUNTY, LAFAYETTE, MACON-BIBB COUNTY, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, SAVANNAH

Federal investments will help local communities implement improved safety features like pedestrian crossings and bicycle lanes, new walking paths and bridges, better signage and lighting, and more

City of Savannah to receive nearly $10,000,000 to upgrade intersections that need safety improvements, such as updated signals and timing, dedicated left turns with protected phasing, sidewalks, crosswalks, and extended bicycle lanes

City of Carrollton to receive $9,200,000 to construct a new half-mile path along Maple Street to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, along with other safety enhancements

Macon-Bibb County to receive $5,630,440 to improve Gray Highway and East Macon Loop by constructing four miles of safer pathways for residents

Investment made possible by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, championed by Georgia's U.S. Senators

Senator Reverend Warnock: "I am glad to see Georgians continue to benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I was proud to champion"

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced over $37,000,000 in federal funding for localities across Georgia to strengthen road safety for bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers, as well as promote better connectivity among communities. This latest round of funding will enable construction of new streets, pathways, and bridges designed to help Georgians get to and from their destinations in a safe, reliable manner and help enhance the overall quality of life for communities. These latest federal investments will also help local governments create and execute comprehensive safety action plans for further funding opportunities.

The funds were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which established the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program at the Department of Transportation that will provide over $5 billion in grants over the next several years. The funding supports local initiatives through competitive grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The SS4A program supports the Department's National Roadway Safety Strategy which aims to achieve zero deaths or serious injuries on our nation's roadways.

"I am glad to see Georgians continue to benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I was proud to champion," said Senator Reverend Warnock. "Safer streets are not just about protecting the vehicles we drive-they are about protecting lives and bolstering safety for all our neighbors. Senator Ossoff and I will continue to work to deliver even more investments to upgrade our state's transportation infrastructure so Georgians can have safer communities and stronger connectivity."

"Through the bipartisan infrastructure law, Senator Warnock and I are delivering upgrades to ensure pedestrian and commuter safety across Georgia," said Senator Ossoff. "We will continue delivering infrastructure upgrades across Georgia through this historic bipartisan effort."

"This is an absolute game changer for East Macon, making it safer for everyone and connecting them to our larger community," said District 3 Commissioner Elaine Lucas, who has long advocated for improved pedestrian safety. She helped create the local Pedestrian Safety Review Board, which makes recommendations on ways to create safer roads."I want to thank our Senators for looking out for us, our Pedestrian Safety Review Board for making this project a priority, and our staff for all the work they put into creating the plan."

"Public safety is our community's priority, and we want to thank our federal legislators for getting the funding needed to truly begin addressing pedestrian safety along one of our busiest roads," said Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller. "With the East Macon Loop and these improvements, we will be creating a safer environment for all people, as well as connecting them to other services and opportunities."

"We are grateful to receive this funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program," said East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham. "Creating a safety action plan is essential to ensuring our streets are safer for everyone. This grant will strengthen our efforts to address key safety concerns such as pedestrian protection, traffic flow improvements, and accident prevention while improving mobility throughout East Point."

The City of Savannah will receive nearly $10,000,000 to improve safety on 37th Street. The project area is the gateway to downtown and midtown Savannah and connects people to major business corridors in the area. The area has seen a dramatic rise in crashes since 2020 and is one of the city's highest risk roadways. The project corridor also has visibility issues at some intersections and lacks safe transportation infrastructure. The project will consist of upgrades to 15 intersections that need systemic safety improvements, such as updated signals and timing, dedicated left turns with protected phasing, sidewalks, crosswalks, and extended bicycle lanes.

The City of Carrollton will receive $9,200,000 in federal funds to create a half mile stretch of a Complete Streets system on a busy section of Maple Street-the primary corridor between the University of West Georgia and the downtown square-to make it safer for people who are walking and biking. Although Maple Street was redesignated as a local roadway after serving as Georgia State Route 166, its highway-styled design remains. The downtown area has seen an influx of new businesses and homes, but neighborhood amenities are not easily accessible due to minimal pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure. This project will address these issues by installing a roundabout, dedicated bicycle lanes, signal equipment upgrades, crosswalk visibility enhancements, pedestrian crossings, ADA-compliant sidewalks, enhanced lighting, and more. These enhancements will help lower vehicle speeds throughout the corridor and provide safer mobility for Georgians.

Macon-Bibb County will receive $5,630,440 in federal funds to improve Gray Highway and East Macon Loop. The project addresses pedestrian and bicyclist safety issues by adding 1 mile of new sidewalks to Gray Highway and 3 miles of multi-use paths along the side streets Old Clinton Road and Boulevard, popular Gray Highway bypass streets, to create East Macon Loop. The project will include the installation of street lighting and two modernized crosswalk signals in the project area to improve visibility. By creating a safer way for pedestrians and cyclists to travel in East Macon, this project, in conjunction with additional efforts, will help improve safety in an area suffering from a large number of pedestrian fatalities.

The Buckhead Community Improvement District is receiving $10,000,000 in federal funds to partner with the City of Atlanta and GDOT to construct a half-mile path and elevated pedestrian and bicycle bridge at the GA 400 interchange and Lenox Road. The project aims to reduce the high frequency of crashes, which includes over 1,000 crashes in a 3-year timespan, and provide a safe transportation alternative for pedestrians and bicyclists in the project area. The bridges will connect communities at a location that has almost no existing accommodations for people walking and biking.

The City of LaFayette, City of East Point, Montgomery County, and Coweta County will receive $163,200, $400,000, $263,050 and $315,480, respectively, to develop a comprehensive safety action plan-a necessary step before applying for future Safe Streets for All project funding.

See below for a full list of grant recipients:

Locality	Award	Purpose
Buckhead Community Improvement District	$10,000,000	To construct a half-mile path and elevated pedestrian and bicycle bridge
City of LaFayette	$163,200	To develop a comprehensive safety action plan
Coweta County	$315,480	To develop a comprehensive safety action plan
Macon-Bibb County	$5,630,440	To improve Gray Highway and East Macon Loop, enhance pedestrian safety
City of Carrollton	$9,200,000	To construct safer walking and biking routes
City of East Point	$400,000	To develop a comprehensive safety action plan
City of Savannah	$9,999,520	To upgrade intersections that need systemic safety improvements, such as updated signals and timing, dedicated left turns with protected phasing, sidewalks, crosswalks, and extended bicycle lanes
Gwinnett County	$1,600,000	To pilot speed management solutions and evaluate additional actions to enhance safety
Montgomery County	$263,050	To develop a comprehensive safety action plan

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