COLUMBUS, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Transportation has commited a $2.3 million dollar grant to the City of Cleveland toward the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.

Funding from the grant will help with implementation, planning and demonstration projects to improve safety and help prevent injuries on Cleveland’s roadways.

This first-of-its-kind program was created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is a part of the more than $14 billion dedicated to roadway safety across the country. 

This grant will fund safety improvements to St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland and help analyze crash patterns in eight one-mile crash areas around the city. Cleveland has identified these in their Vision Zero Action Plan. 

“We are grateful to our federal partners for this strategic investment in our Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic crash deaths in Cleveland by 2032,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “This grant directly supports our work on clear, measurable strategies that provide safe, healthy and equitable mobility for our residents.”

The SS4A grant is the latest of investment the city has taken to make the streets safer for all residents. A partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation has helped improve pedestrian safety. 

“There are many layers to our efforts around safer streets and safer transportation—and that’s by design,” said Calley Mersmann, the city’s transit and mobility strategist. “Vision Zero reframes safety that focuses on the system through things like safer street design and speed management to prevent serious crashes. Human error is inevitable, but traffic fatalities can be prevented.” 

Per the 2022 Complete and Green Streets ordinance, Cleveland is required to adopt such a plan at least every five years.