Kaptur Announces $24.5 Million USDOT Award To Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, and Sandusky Counties in Safe Streets and Roads For All Funding

Toledo, Ohio – RealEstateRama – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced the US Department of Transportation will award $24.5 Million to Lucas, Ottawa, Wood and Sandusky counties as part of its Safe Streets and Roads for All Program (SS4A). The funding award follows a previous $400,000 award in SS4A funding received by Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, and Sandusky Counties in the first round of SS4A funding in February 2023.

“We are making transformational investments across our region with help from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It is rewarding to see our local communities in Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties come together to draw down this $24.5 Million federal award for comprehensive solutions to eliminate traffic fatalities, and to promote safety on our roadways,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Working together we are delivering actionable investment across our region. I have always fought to bring home federal investment to our region of Northwest Ohio, and will continue to work with our local communities to identify future opportunities.”

“We are excited that Secretary Buttigieg has selected our four-county region in Northwest Ohio for a $24.5 Million Safe Streets and Roads for All Implementation 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.”

“This transformative investment in Northwest Ohio’s infrastructure is a testament to the power of collaboration and forward-thinking leadership. By enhancing the safety and connectivity of our roadways, we are not just improving our streets but also laying the foundation for a more vibrant and accessible future for all our residents. This grant represents a significant step toward our goal of making Toledo — and all of Northwest Ohio — a safer, more resilient region. I am proud of the collective effort that has brought us to this moment,” said Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz.

The $24.5 Million USDOT SS4A Award Will fund the following upgrades:

• Port Clinton, Ohio — $4.5 Million will be used 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, Ohio – Two projects totaling $5 Million planned for the City of Fremont include:
  •  $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.
  •  $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.
•  Lucas County, Ohio — $11.4 Million to develop the following:
  •  $10.2 Million of the grant funds will be used by the City of Toledo to improve Monroe Street (State Route 51) from the downtown area to the I-475 Interchange in Sylvania, Ohio. The project will focus on addressing speeding and access management issues by installing medians and/or traffic calming measures, intersection improvements including enhanced pedestrian crossings, and installation of mid block pedestrian crossings along the corridor.
  • 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 four-county region.
  • A study of the impacts the installation of roundabouts on rural transportation corridors on traffic speed and calming and the effects they have on overall traffic safety.
• Bowling Green, Ohio — $3.6 Million will be used to construct a shared use path and intersection improvements along Main Street (Dixie highway/SR-25) from Poe to Nims Road to provide enhanced safety for bicyclists and pedestrians in the goal of having a multi-modal MainStreet Corridor to promote safety and connectivity through the City.

The Northwest Ohio SS4A Implementation Project consisting of these four counties, have worked together toward a shared goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries for all road users by 2045. Implementation will benefit residents in urban, suburban, and rural communities, while bringing much needed safety and improvements that foster growth and sustainable transportation choices.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which Congresswoman Kaptur championed established the SS4A discretionary program with $5 Billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, from 2022 to 2026. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. Over $3 Billion is still available for future funding rounds. SS4A has provided $1.7 Billion in Federal funding to over 1,000 communities in all 50 States and Puerto Rico. SS4A funding awarded to date will improve roadway safety planning for about 70 percent of the nation’s population. More information and SS4A applicant guidance, can be found by clicking here.

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