Savannah Standard

Tom Perez, Senior White House Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, is set to join city and state officials in Savannah on October 31. The event will celebrate a $9.9 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve safety at intersections along 37th Street.

Perez will be accompanied by Ann Purcell, chair of the State Transportation Board of Georgia, Mayor Van R. Johnson II, and City Manager Joseph A. Melder for remarks in front of the Bull Street Library.

The City of Savannah's Vision Zero Program received the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant as part of $1 billion funding under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. This initiative aims to enhance roadway safety across various communities.

Fifteen intersections along 37th Street will see upgrades with new signals, left-turn lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, and extended bicycle lanes. The project has a total cost of $12.3 million with the city contributing an additional $2.4 million.

Savannah's Vision Zero Initiative began with a resolution passed by City Council in February 2022 followed by an action plan identifying high-risk areas like 37th Street due to its crash history from 2018 to 2022.

The funding will also support planning activities focused on updating safety data, assessing improvements' impacts, and involving public engagement through the Vision Zero Task Force.

The event details are as follows:

- What: SS4A Grant Event

- When: October 31 at 2:30 p.m.

- Where: Bull Street Library

The City remains committed to ensuring safe streets for all residents through initiatives like Vision Zero which seeks to eliminate traffic fatalities while promoting equitable mobility.