The US Department of Transportation is awarding $24.5 million to Lucas, Ottawa, Wood and Sandusky counties as part of its Safe Streets and Roads for All program (SS4A). The award follows a previous $400,000 one received by Lucas, Wood, Ottawa and Sandusky counties during the first round of SS4A funding in February 2023.
“We are excited that secretary Pete Buttigieg has selected our four-county region in northwest Ohio for a $24.5 million grant to make our roadways safer for our citizens. From the very beginning, we all have recognized that the safety of our citizens does not stop at the city, village or county line,” said Lucas County Engineer Mike Pniewski.
“It is through a coordinated effort working together toward the goal of zero deaths on our roadways that we can make the strongest positive impact. We look forward to implementing these catalyst projects in our communities and begin implementation of our plan to make northwest Ohio a safe place to travel for all transportation users,” he continued.
“This transformative investment in northwest Ohio’s infrastructure is a testament to the power of collaboration and forward-thinking leadership. I am proud of the collective effort that has brought us to this moment,” said Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz.
The award will be used to fund the following upgrades: Lucas County—$11.4 million, of which $10.2 million will be used by Toledo to improve Monroe Street/State Route 51 from the downtown area to the I-475 interchange in Sylvania. The project will focus on addressing speeding and access management issues by installing medians and/or traffic calming measures, intersection improvements including pedestrian crossings and installation of mid block pedestrian crossings along the corridor.
Funding also will go toward an education and outreach campaign that will address action elements in the northwest Ohio Transportation Safety Action plan to influence and ultimately change driver behavior in the fourcounty region.
Bowling Green—$3.6 million to construct a shared use path and intersection improvements along Dixie Highway/State Route 25 from Poe to Nims roads to provide enhanced safety for bicyclists and pedestrians with the goal of having a multi-modal Main Street corridor to promote safety and connectivity through the city.
Port Clinton–$4.5 million to reconstruct the interchange at State Routes 2 and 53 to include dual roundabouts in the goal of reducing accidents at the interchange as well as provide a transition to reduce traffic speeds for vehicles entering the City of Port Clinton.
Fremont–Two projects totaling $5 million. They are $1.9 million to develop a shared use path along Rawson Avenue/State Route 53 from West State Street to Sean Drive as well as pedestrian crossing and intersection improvements; and $3.1 million for safety improvements along West State Street which may include a reduction in travel lanes, dedicated turning lanes, access management including center medians, dedicated bicycle and pedestrian facilities and crosswalks.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the SS4A discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over five years, from 2022 to 2026. The program funds regional, local and tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
