Salt Lake City hoping to make streets safer for K-12 students through nearly $1M grant
Dec 20, 2023, 2:56 PM | Updated: 8:39 pm
A cyclist watches traffic before crossing 400 East at 200 South in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. A $953,600 grant has been awarded to Salt Lake City to help make its streets safer — particularly for K-12 students. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The federal government has awarded $953,600 to Salt Lake City to help make its streets safer — particularly for K-12 students.
The U.S. Department of Transportation administered the grant through Safe Streets and Roads for All to pilot interactive safety education programs in Salt Lake City School District schools, according to a release from the city.
“Every street should be the safest street in Salt Lake City, period. That’s especially true for roads near our schools,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said.
Through the grant, the TravelWell Schools program will be delivered to K-12 classrooms across Salt Lake City and students will learn about safe streets through the use of technology with digital mapping to identify real-time travel behaviors, problems and solutions.
“This grant funding will advance our Vision Zero goals and make Salt Lake City’s streets a safer place for kids because no death is acceptable. We won’t stop looking for ways to address street safety for all Salt Lakers,” Mendenhall continued.
Vision Zero refers to a city initiative launched by Mendenall in 2022 that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries on city streets by 2035.
Along with the Salt Lake City School District, the city will be partnering with the nonprofit Children’s Media Workshop to target education and outreach efforts to underserved communities. The pilot will be used to inform the city’s Safe Streets for All action plan, which is in the process of being developed with the Wasatch Front Regional Council.
“The exciting thing about this grant and partnership is that it provides an opportunity for us to crowdsource feedback directly from students, enabling us to make targeted safety investments where that will provide the highest benefit for them,” Jon Larsen, transportation division director for Salt Lake City, said in a statement.
Overall, Utah communities have received just over $2.3 million in funds from Safe Streets and Roads for All.
