Kalamazoo County, Detroit among communities to improve road safety using federal aid

Four Michigan communities will have safer roads thanks to more than $35.5 million in federally funded grants.

The Michigan Infrastructure Office announced in September that new Safe Streets and Roads for All grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be used to improve roadway safety and help prevent traffic deaths in the state. According to the infrastructure office, roadway crashes are the leading cause of death for Michiganders under 45. 

Kalamazoo County and the city of Detroit are receiving the bulk of the USDOT grant funding.

Kalamazoo County was allotted $25 million for a project that will improve more than 130 miles of major roads, many of them rural. A Michigan Infrastructure Office press release says the project aims to address the causes of 74 deaths and 30 injuries that occurred on roads over the past five years, more than half of which were caused by a vehicle leaving the roadway.

The project will include the installation of rumble strips on the median and shoulder of the road and the improvement of pavement markings and signs. Sixteen miles of roadways will be widened by at least three feet along the shoulder in order to reduce crashes and improve the safety of pedestrians walking or biking. The funding will also be used to create left-turn lanes at high-risk locations.

Detroit received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Transportation Department, as well as an additional $2.2 million in state aid, to implement safety measures that are expected to reduce the number and severity of crashes occurring throughout the Gratiot Avenue corridor. Between 2019 and 2023, Gratiot Avenue was the scene of over 2,500 crashes, the Michigan Infrastructure Office reported, making the corridor one of the most dangerous in the country.

“Every Michigander deserves to travel safely in their community, whether by car, bus, bike, or on foot,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris administration and our congressional delegation for their commitment to public safety and for delivering these Safe Streets Grants to Kalamazoo County and the City of Detroit.”

The Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021. The law is the largest federal investment in public transportation in the nation’s history, according to the Federal Transit Administration. Michigan has received approximately $13 billion under the law to improve state roads, railways and broadband infrastructure.

In addition to the projects in Kalamazoo County and Detroit, the cities of Rochester Hills and Wixom received $440,000 and $160,000, respectively, from the new grant funding to develop action plans to create safer roads in their communities.

“These awards help communities make it safer for families to get to work, access medical care, and buy groceries, saving lives and making our communities more accessible for pedestrians, bikes, and drivers,” Zachary Kolodin, director of the Michigan Infrastructure Office, said in a statement. “Michigan continues to demonstrate to the federal government that we are a wise investment. We are committed to remaining a leader in infrastructure projects that create opportunities for every Michigander to live, work, and travel in a secure and prosperous environment.”