WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) decision to award $23.5 million in grants from the Safe Streets and Roads for All program to projects in Nebraska:
“These projects will make improvements to two essential roadways, reduce serious public safety risks, and improve post-crash care,” Fischer said. “I encouraged DOT to award these much-needed investments and thank them for recognizing how important this is to travelers and first responders in the state.”
Fischer wrote letters of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation for these projects.
These federal investments will be directed to three projects in Nebraska:
West O Street between NW 22nd Street and 3rd Street Safety Improvement Project
The City of Lincoln will receive $11,700,000 for the implementation of safety initiatives on one of the community’s highest-risk corridors with a disproportionate concentration of fatal and serious injury crashes. The corridor is a critical east-west arterial that connects residents to businesses, schools, government and social services, and sporting events at the University of Nebraska. The project will enable safety improvements designed to reduce vehicle speeds, eliminate high-risk turning movements, and reduce the number and severity of conflict points.
Leirion Gaylor Baird, Mayor, City of Lincoln, said, “With this $11.7 million federal award, the City of Lincoln will make significant safety improvements along one of Lincoln’s most important transportation corridors, helping reduce serious crashes while supporting local businesses and the thousands of people who travel West ‘O’ Street each day. We are grateful to Senator Fischer for supporting our application and for her continued partnership in bringing federal infrastructure investments home to our community.”
Lincoln Street Corridor Safety Improvement Project
The City of Beatrice will receive $10,641,636 to reconstruct Lincoln Street from 5th Street to 25th Street and implement roadway, intersection, and pedestrian improvements that will reduce crash frequency and severity, create safer roadways, and help eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries. Additionally, the project includes realignment of key intersections, conversion of the Lincoln Street and 19th Street intersection to a roundabout, reconstruction of the corridor as a two-lane facility designed to better accommodate multimodal users, and installation of continuous sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and traffic control improvements.
Tobias Tempelmeyer, City Administrator and General Manager, City of Beatrice, said, “The Lincoln Street corridor was prioritized as a top 3 project in our Safe Streets for All Action Plan. This project will improve multi-modal safety and operations by implementing planned corridor improvements, pedestrian crossings, and new sidewalk and trail infrastructure. We are very thankful to Senator Fischer for assisting in securing funds to address a significant safety concern in Beatrice.”
Improving MAPA Regional Post-Crash Care: Supplemental Planning and Demonstration
Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) will receive $1,111,200 for equipment to extricate people involved in traffic crashes and to support life-saving treatments. Within their region, more than 60 percent of people who later die from injuries sustained in a traffic crash were alive at the time that first responders arrived on the scene. Their efforts will enable responders to deliver earlier, lifesaving interventions in the field and improve patient outcomes following severe crashes.
Mike Helgerson, Executive Director, MAPA, said, “These investments are the first step towards providing first responders across our region with the resources and equipment to provide life-saving care for people injured in traffic crashes. We’re excited to build on the successful models piloted by the Omaha and Bellevue Fire Departments.”
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