WATERTOWN, S.D.(KXLG)- In a significant move towards enhancing roadway safety, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, a federally recognized tribal government in South Dakota, has been awarded a $120,000 grant. This funding is part of the F.Y. 2024 September Planning & Demonstration Grant Award, aimed at developing a comprehensive safety action plan for the community.
Grant Details
- Organization Name:Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate
- Entity Type:Federally Recognized Tribal Government
- State:South Dakota
- Total Jurisdiction Population:11,043
- Percentage of Population in Disadvantaged Communities:100%
- Total Federal Funding:$120,000
- Funding Allocated to Disadvantaged Communities:$120,000 (100%)
- Traffic Crash Fatalities (FARS 2017-2021):9
- Average Annual Fatality Rate (per 100,000 people):5
- Land Use:Rural
- Grant Type:Planning and Demonstration
- Type of Plan:Develop a new Comprehensive Safety Action Plan
- Award Round:Y. 2024 September (Round 2)
- Project Name:Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Transportation Safety Action Plan
- Project Description:Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate will use this award to develop a comprehensive safety action plan.
Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a total of $460,890 in grants for South Dakota as part of the $1 billion in grants through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. The funding will be distributed to 354 local, regional, and tribal communities nationwide, including two in South Dakota, to improve roadway safety and prevent deaths and severe injuries on America’s rural and urban roads.
This announcement is critical to the Department of Transportation’s comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy, launched in 2022. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also released early estimates of traffic fatalities for the first half of 2024, estimating a decline in traffic fatalities for the ninth quarter. An estimated 18,720 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 3.2 percent compared to 19,330 fatalities projected for the first half of 2023.
Despite the decrease in road fatalities, the numbers remain alarmingly high. Over 40,000 people have died on U.S. roads in each of the last three years, with a disproportionate number of fatalities occurring in rural areas or involving pedestrians and bicyclists. Traffic fatalities also remain a leading cause of death for school-aged children and young adults.
“Through new funding programs like Safe Streets and Roads for All, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping communities of all sizes make their roadways safer for everyone who uses them,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We should be energized by the fact that together we’ve reduced traffic fatalities for more than two years in a row now – but so much work remains to fully address the crisis on our roads. Today’s roadway safety grants will deliver funding directly to 354 communities and continue the important work we’re doing to reduce traffic fatalities to the only number that’s acceptable: zero.”
“The SS4A program gives local and tribal governments the resources to plan and implement the safety improvements that will make the most difference in their communities,” said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “They know what is best, and this program leverages that local expertise to save lives.”
The Safe Streets and Roads for All program provides grants directly to communities for implementation, planning, and demonstration projects to prevent deaths and severe injuries on the nation’s roadways. Since its launch in 2022, SS4A has funded projects in more than 1,400 communities, supporting roadway safety for nearly 75% of the U.S. population.
SS4A is making historic investments in rural and underserved communities, with many of this year’s awards addressing critical safety hot spots on some of the country’s most dangerous roads. The projects aim to improve safety for all roadway users, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and people with disabilities.
South Dakota received $460,890 for two safety planning and demonstration projects. The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate’s grant is a part of this funding, which will be used to develop a comprehensive safety action plan to address the unique challenges faced by the community.
The third and final round of this year’s SS4A grant awards is expected to be announced in November. For more information on the SS4A program, visit the Department of Transportation’s website.
This grant represents a crucial step towards improving roadway safety in South Dakota, particularly for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate community. With the development of a comprehensive safety action plan, the community aims to reduce traffic fatalities and create safer roads for all its residents. 2024 SS4A Awards | U.S. Department of Transportation