Blaine County to receive funds from the Biden administration to improve roads at the local level

BLAINE COUNTY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Blaine County is one of four entities in Idaho benefitting from the “Safe Streets and Roads For All” grant program.

The county was awarded $160,000 to develop a comprehensive safety action plan.

This is one of 510 projects across the country, totaling 800-million dollars. Brendan Cullerton from our D.C. Bureau spoke with transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, on what these dollars could mean for communities nationwide.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the increase in U.S. traffic deaths is concerning – and the federal government should play a larger role in local prevention efforts.

40 thousand Americans – that’s how many people Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the county loses every year to traffic deaths.

“We need to pay more attention to what I would call a crisis of roadway safety in America.”

Buttigieg says the Department of Transportation keeps data on what they refer to as crash hotspots across the country – but the federal government is not alone in dictating where the money goes.

“The communities come to us with their ideas. With their goals. Often things they’ve been wanting for years but didn’t have the funding.”

The Safe Streets and Roads for all program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in late 2021.

Some of the money is for cities to plan improvements – and other funding is for the actual construction.

“The principle here is that the answers aren’t all going to come from Washington, but more of the funding should. And that’s why we’re supporting communities with these grants.”

The grant program will dish out 5 billion dollars over the next five years.

To view all of the other communities receive funds, Click Here.

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