PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia has been awarded $16.4 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant. The funds will be directed towards the Complete & Safe Streets Philadelphia: Vision Zero High Injury Network Corridors project.
The grant is part of the $5 billion Congress appropriated nationwide for SS4A programs, established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The funding will transform some of the city’s most dangerous corridors into safer routes for all modes of transport, particularly pedestrians and cyclists.
Two key projects will be implemented along the High Injury Network (HIN). The first will take place along Hunting Park Avenue, from Wissahickon Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard, a priority corridor in the Vision Zero Capital Plan. The second will occur on Old York Road, from Erie Avenue to Lindley Avenue, which had already received design funding under the 2022 SS4A award. The new grant will fund project implementation.
Additionally, the funds will allow for the creation of a new High-Quality Bicycle Network Capital Plan. This includes an education and encouragement campaign focusing on residents and neighborhoods previously underserved in bicycling services. A bicycle demonstration project will also be launched to advance traffic calming and separated bicycle lane facilities in historically disadvantaged communities.
Approximately $500,000 will be allocated to fund the Workforce Development elements of the grant program. This aims to increase the representation of communities of color and women in the construction sector, resulting in a more proactive approach to Vision Zero.
Mayor Jim Kenney expressed his satisfaction with the progress made in creating safer neighborhoods. He thanked U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman, U.S. Representatives Dwight Evans and Brendan Boyle, and other federal partners, as well as the Office of Complete Streets for their efforts in securing this grant.
Michael Carroll, P.E., Deputy Managing Director, Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability, (OTIS), also acknowledged the collaborative efforts at federal and local levels to enhance community safety. He emphasized OTIS’s commitment to making the most of the funding by developing and implementing street safety improvement projects for all modes of transport.
This grant aligns with Philadelphia’s long-standing commitment to Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries from traffic-related crashes in the city. As these funded projects become reality, they are expected to significantly improve the safety and quality of Philadelphia’s streets.
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