Savannah Standard

The City of Savannah’s Vision Zero Program has been awarded a $9.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to enhance safety at intersections along 37th Street.

The grant was announced last week as part of $1 billion in new funding released by the U.S. Department of Transportation under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. Along with Savannah, funding has gone directly to 354 local, regional, and tribal communities to improve roadway safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries.

The new funding for Vision Zero will target 15 intersections along 37th Street, which will be upgraded with updated signals, dedicated left turns, sidewalks, crosswalks, and extended bicycle lanes. The City will match the grant funding of $9,999,520 with $2,499,880 for a total project cost of $12,499,400.

In February 2022, City Council passed a resolution implementing the Vision Zero Initiative followed by the completion of the Vision Zero Action Plan in September that year. The plan identified 37th Street as a high-injury network and recommended it be a high priority for improvements.

Approximately 970 crashes were recorded between 2018 and 2022 along the major east-west connector that links central Savannah to I-16 access. The corridor is one of the City’s highest-risk roadways with numerous intersections and turning crashes involving pedestrian fatalities.

The grant funding will assist new planning activities that will meet several objectives including capturing recent safety data, identifying impacts of improvements, and engaging the public and Vision Zero Task Force in planning enhancements along the street.

The City of Savannah will hold an event in October to celebrate the grant award with stakeholders. Details on the event will be released once finalized.