More than 60 intersections, crosswalks and traffic signals are slated for safety improvements as Austin City Council earmarked a $22.87 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and $1.5 million from its fiscal year 2022-23 budget Sept. 14.

The backstory

Austin received the federal award in February through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which targets high-crash sites in cities and counties. The Sept. 14 vote marked the city’s first move to implement the funding for projects around the city.

The details

The DOT grant will fund:

• Five to seven major intersection improvements
• 10 pedestrian hybrid beacons—a traffic control system used to help pedestrians cross busy roads
• Dozens of crosswalk marking, traffic signal and street lighting upgrades
• A safety campaign on roundabouts

A map of proposed project locations is available here.

Diving in deeper

Over half of the grant funding will be used for safety projects in areas designated by the DOT as historically underserved—many of which are east of I-35.

City transportation data shows Austin’s Black and Hispanic population is disproportionately dying and getting seriously injured in car crashes.

As of Sept. 27, Black residents made up 18.4% of serious injuries and fatalities in Austin, and Hispanic residents made up 35.2%. Austin’s population is roughly 7% Black and 32% Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 census.