Safe Streets Program Fails to Reach Most Vulnerable Communities

Despite a $5 billion budget, disadvantaged areas with high traffic deaths are largely overlooked, with recent efforts aiming to improve outreach and support.

• A USA TODAY investigation reveals that the Safe Streets and Roads for All program has largely failed to reach disadvantaged communities with high traffic fatality rates, despite having $5 billion in funding.
• Most of the program's funding has gone to affluent counties with lower fatality rates, leaving places like Gallup, New Mexico, with high pedestrian death rates and significant Native American populations, without support.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation has not directly reached out to communities in need until recently, relying instead on communities to seek out the program themselves.
• Experts suggest that the program could be improved through better outreach, meaningful training for grant applications, and support for regional partnerships to help low-capacity counties access funding.
• Despite the challenges, there is hope for improvement as the Department of Transportation plans to award an additional $3.3 billion through 2026 and has begun targeted outreach to communities with high fatality rates.

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