El Paso receives US$9.9 million to improve road safety

EL PASO, TX – The city of El Paso received a US$9.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve road safety. The resource is awarded through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, and will be used to implement the city’s Vision Zero action plan.

El Paso’s Vision Zero plan aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The grant will be used to fund safety improvements along N. Yarbrough Drive in East El Paso, launch a Safe Routes to School initiative, and expand the city’s Vision Zero education and encouragement efforts.

Yarbrough is the corridor in the region with the second highest number of vehicle collisions involving bicycles or pedestrians.

Planned improvements include:

• Addressing right angle, left turn and rear-end crashes.
• Improved signage
• Reducing speeding
• Addressing driver inattention

“This US$9.9 million grant is an important step forward in making our roadway transportation network safer,” said Joaquin Rodriguez, director of grant-funded programs for the city’s Capital Improvement Department. “We are committed to working with our partners to create a community where everyone can travel safely.”

The City of El Paso is one of 48 communities nationwide to receive SS4A grants in this round. The grant will be funded from the Bridge, Highway and Bus Infrastructure Fund.