DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — The City of Dothan has been awarded the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” (SS4A) grant from the United States Department of Transportation.

The grant will be used to create a Safety Action Plan in areas that are traditionally underserved, transportation disadvantaged, minority, and low-income communities that are facing a high number of severe crashes.

Once the locations are determined, the Safety Action Plan will be made in order to help reduce crashes. Dothan experienced 40 fatal crashes between the years of 2016 and 2020.

The City has a committed goal to make streets safer by reducing severe crashes by 50% over the next five years. The Safety Action Plan will pinpoint specific areas for safety enhancements, such as minor geometric improvements, updated striping or signage, and/or various Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) implementations.

Safety improvements may be recommended for all forms of travel including walking, bicycling, or vehicle use. The Safety Action Plan will also pursue public input regarding traveling safety and encourage safer travel through educational outreach programs.

The funding from the SS4A grant is provided at an 80% Federal and 20% local split. The total cost of developing a Safety Action Plan for the City is projected to be $294,170 with funds from the grant being $235,336 and city funds being $58,834.

The development of a Safety Action Plan is the first step toward additional federal funding to enforce the suggested safety measures in the future. The City of Dothan is excited to create a Safety Action Plan to make the streets in the community safer for all.

For more information on the SS4A grant program, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A