Macon-Bibb to receive nearly $6 million for pedestrian safety improvements

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.

"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," says 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."

"This is an absolute gamechanger for East Macon, making it safer for everyone and connecting them to our larger community," says 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."

Macon-Bibb County will receive $5,630,440 in federal funds to improve Gray Highway and create the East Macon Loop, a multimodal access trail that will connect people in East Macon to services, recreation areas, and Downtown. 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 - along with other efforts by the Department of Transportation - will help improve safety in an area suffering from a large number of pedestrian fatalities.

"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."

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 more than $5 billion in grants 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.