News

Grant will allow the township to develop comprehensive safety action plan

Saugatuck Township has been awarded a $140,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. This grant will enable the township to develop a Comprehensive Road Safety Action Plan aimed at addressing safety issues for commercial, residential, pedestrian, and cyclist traffic throughout the community.

“This funding provides Saugatuck Township the opportunity to take a proactive approach to improve road safety for everyone who lives, works, and travels in our community,” said Saugatuck Township Manager Daniel DeFranco. “By identifying key issues and prioritizing solutions, we aim to create safer streets and more connected neighborhoods.”

The Comprehensive Road Safety Action Plan will evaluate the township’s key routes and traffic patterns, defining priorities for improvements. The plan will assess:

• Roadway and intersection capacity
• Signage, speed limits, and pavement quality
• Accessibility and roadway access
• Safety concerns at high-risk locations

“This community-focused plan will allow the township to strategically mitigate safety concerns, enhance traffic flow, and ensure safer conditions for all road users,” said DeFranco. “Saugatuck Township is proud to join this national effort and looks forward to using the SS4A funding to enhance the safety and connectivity of its roadways.”

The funding is part of a $172 million allocation announced this week by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The grants, made possible by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support 257 communities across the nation in developing and implementing plans to improve roadway safety and prevent traffic-related deaths and serious injuries.

A National Initiative for Safer Roads

Since its launch in 2022 to reduce serious injuries and fatalities, the SS4A program has provided funding for over 1,600 communities—reaching approximately 75% of the U.S. population—with nearly half of these awards going to rural areas. Secretary Buttigieg highlighted the program’s importance in addressing America’s roadway safety crisis, which peaked with over 43,000 fatalities in 2021.

“Improving streetscapes and dangerous stretches of highway can save lives, and the people who rely on our roads every day often already know where improvements are needed but lacked the funding to address them,” said Secretary Buttigieg. “With this latest round of grants, funding will flow directly to communities to help put life-saving projects in motion.”

“The fatalities we report are not just statistics—they are our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors,” said Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “This motivates us to fulfill commitments under the National Roadway Safety Strategy to address all aspects of the roadway safety crisis.” For more information about the SS4A program and this grant, visit https://saugatucktownshipmi.gov/ and https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A