More than $34 million in federal grants will support roadway safety initiatives throughout Houston, Galveston, and the East End District, aiming to decrease fatal accidents.
Federal funds are being allocated to Southeast Texas to support research and planning aimed at improving the safety of local roads, with a substantial grant awarded to the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC).
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded H-GAC $4 million to create “Safety Action Plans” designed to reduce fatal crashes and improve the safety of the region’s transportation network for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
“Often, our crashes are not just frequent but also significantly serious,” remarked Allie Isbell, H-GAC’s assistant director of transportation. “In the last five years, nearly one in six fatalities involved bicyclists or pedestrians.” This Safety Action Plan will analyze our network comprehensively to reduce those figures.
H-GAC will collaborate with Waller County, METRO, the Gulf Coast Rail District, and several cities, including Conroe, Friendswood, La Marque, League City, Missouri City, Pearland, Sugar Land, and Galveston.
The East End District is set to receive $603,000 for a study aimed at improving safety in neighborhoods such as Second Ward, Magnolia Park, and Eastwood. The initiative will explore how people use local streets and transit, as well as safety factors related to railroads, METROrail, and for both pedestrians and cyclists.
Federal officials have declared that the city of Houston has secured a $30 million grant to carry out crucial safety enhancements along a critical corridor.
The grants represent a substantial dedication to safety research and planning across the region, with local leaders emphasizing that this initiative will establish a framework for reducing accidents and safeguarding lives.
Houston’s airports could face flight delays or even temporary ground stops as the federal shutdown strains FAA staffing and disrupts air travel nationwide.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences has recorded 22 people found dead in bayous this year, a higher number than Houston police had previously confirmed and first reported by the Houston Chronicle.
Community leaders in Houston’s Third Ward on Tuesday urged residents to stay calm as they awaited more information about the 15 bodies found in area bayous this year—including six in just two weeks—and pledged that law enforcement would release further investigative details soon.