Norwalk Receives $400,000 Federal Grant For Traffic Safety Action Plan

NORWALK, CT — Mayor Harry Rilling recently announced the city was selected to receive $400,000 in federal funding to develop a comprehensive Safety Action Plan to support traffic safety projects.

In a news release provided by the city, Rilling thanked senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and Congressman Jim Himes.

Rilling also noted the funding came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program established to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.

According to Rilling, this plan will put the city on a path to adopting a Vision Zero policy to prevent roadway tragedies.

"We are grateful to our Federal Delegation, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy and Congressman Jim Himes, for the $400,000 awarded to the city of Norwalk to develop a comprehensive Safety Action Plan to support traffic safety projects through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," Rilling said in a news release. "The city of Norwalk is committed to enhancing road safety by developing a comprehensive Safety Action Plan. This plan will help us identify and address the most dangerous roadways and intersections by compiling a list of high-crash locations using relevant crash standardization tools and data. The Safety Action Plan will also help identify and outline mitigation strategies for each location throughout the City. By integrating this data-driven approach with our Complete Streets Plan, which we expect will be adopted later this year, we aim to create an integrated strategy to reduce serious injuries and any potential traffic-related fatalities citywide."

According to city officials, historical data underscores the urgency of undertaking a Safety Action Plan in the city of Norwalk.

From 2017 to 2021, Norwalk experienced 17 traffic-related fatalities, translating to 3.7 per 100,000 persons annually. By leveraging existing resources and focusing on the city's specific needs, Norwalk's Safety Action Plan will complement ongoing safety projects and pioneer new initiatives with clear, measurable objectives and timelines for implementation, city officials said.

"This $400,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Norwalk will transform road and pedestrian safety so that motorists, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists are protected on the city's roads," Blumenthal said in a news release. "The comprehensive safety action plan, supported by this funding, will address dangerous roadway and intersections, preventing future tragedies. I will continue to advocate for investments like these that improve traffic safety at the local level."

Norwalk's Safety Action Plan is also committed to equitable investment to correct historical injustices from mid-20th-century urban shifts. This historic planning, influenced by federally funded highway expansions and urban renewal, dramatically reshaped Norwalk, displacing communities, encouraging sprawl and white flight and favoring car-centric infrastructure, according to the city.

The plan will help ensure safe, accessible transportation for everyone, reflecting a shift from the city's past towards a more inclusive and equitable future that expands different modes of transportation. The Safety Action Plan targets crucial areas with expanded pedestrian, cyclist, and driver safety improvements, officials said.

This grant is the result of the city's Transportation, Mobility, and Parking Department's efforts and the Safety Action Plan will help guide the city's roadway improvement projects for the next decade, officials said.

Additionally, the city's planned adoption of Complete Streets also demonstrates Norwalk's commitment to creating safer and multimodal roadways. The Safety Action Plan will provide a valuable metric for Complete Streets infrastructure to improve safety citywide, officials said.

The city's approach includes maintaining a project website and conducting comprehensive public outreach, ensuring community feedback shapes the plan’s development and implementation, officials said.

"Here in Norwalk, we know that safe, efficient roadways are critical to connecting our community, and we also know the loss and tragedy that can arise when we don’t prioritize traffic safety," Himes said in a news release. "That's why I'm thrilled to have helped secure $400,000 for the city of Norwalk through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Safe Streets and Roads for All program. This federal funding will be used to identify and mitigate traffic chokepoints and develop an action plan that will create better, more accessible, and cleaner roadways throughout our city."