This week, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who sits on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that Miami-Dade County has been awarded a $16.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) via the Advance Transportation Equity Through Vision Zero Project.
The funding will address critical safety concerns on the county’s high-injury network along high-speed arterial and collector roads. The initiative is designed to enhance transportation equity and safety through a comprehensive approach.
“Every person in Miami-Dade knows what it is like to be driving and pass a car accident on the street and hear stories of folks losing their lives in catastrophic crashes. These tragedies are preventable, and it’s time to focus on preventing these deaths. That’s why I’m proud to have helped secure federal funds to implement life-saving infrastructure improvements across Miami-Dade County. These changes will save lives and link more residents, especially those in underserved areas, to different parts of the county, thereby promoting economic growth in our community,” said Wilson. “I want to thank President Biden and Secretary Pete Buttigieg for their leadership in enhancing America’s infrastructure and making our communities safer in Miami-Dade County.”
The grant will focus on infrastructure improvements along 24 pre-determined locations studied by DOT on the county’s high-injury network along its high-speed arterial and collector roads. Projects include upgrading and installing signs, pavement markings, signalization, lighting, sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, and repurposing a parking lane to a shared-use path. These changes address safety issues and improve connections between underserved communities and important places like parks and public transportation. This funding comes from the Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Funding for fiscal year 2023.
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which includes the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” Funding. ilson was one of the five original co-sponsors of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and has worked on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to secure transportation and infrastructure funds for Miami-Dade County.
“This grant is a game changer for Miami-Dade County as it provides crucial funding that will enable us to address persistent safety issues in our highest injury locations. Our vision is clear: to ensure the well-being of every resident and visitor in our county by creating a safer, more equitable, and inclusive transportation network,” said Levine Cava. “These infrastructure improvements are pivotal to connect our communities, especially those historically underserved. I am deeply grateful to Congresswoman Wilson, President Biden, and Secretary Buttigieg for their support. Their leadership is crucial in enhancing our infrastructure and championing the causes of safety and equity in Miami-Dade County.”
Miami-Dade County faces a disproportionate number of fatal and severe injury crashes, with 86 percent occurring on arterial and collector roads, representing only about 20 percent of the total road miles, according to DOT. The 24 sites chosen countermeasures stem from a thorough study of well-documented safety issues, directly addressing the contributing causes of crashes at key locations. The projects aim to create safer environments for all road users with a particular emphasis on reversing the alarming trend of disproportionate pedestrian and cyclist crashes, which have increased by nearly 40 percent between 2012 and 2022.
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