There Is a Crisis on Mesa County Roads
In the five year period between 2016 and 2020, 79 people lost their life on Mesa County roads and hundreds more were injured. In the last two years, there have been 31 fatalities on our roads. Those impacted were of every background and involved those in their car, on a motorcycle, and those walking and biking throughout the region. Mesa County currently has the 4th highest roadway deaths per capita in Colorado among peer sized counties.
Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program
Traffic safety is a hot topic both regionally and nationally. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently slated $5 billion in funding over five years to improve safety on roads throughout the nation under the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program.
In early February, the Mesa County Regional Transportation Planning Office (RTPO) announced $260,000 in funding from the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. Mesa County, the City of Grand Junction, City of Fruita, and Town of Palisade are committing an additional $65,000 to develop a comprehensive safety action plan – bringing the project total to $325,000.
A comprehensive safety action plan in Mesa County will establish eligibility to apply for future project implementation in future rounds of funding under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
Next Step: Develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan for Mesa County
A comprehensive safety action plan will find solutions to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads across Mesa County. Fatal and serious injury crashes are preventable, not inevitable whether driving in a car, delivering freight, traveling on a motorcycle, bike, on foot, or by other modes.
Therefore, this planning document will provide strategies to address changes to both roadway user behavior and infrastructure. This comprehensive safety action plan will look at local data, learn from peer communities, and ultimately be built on a foundation of partnerships from a diverse group of stakeholders who strive to find solutions to make Mesa County stronger and safer.
The RTPO is looking for partners in local government, law enforcement, hospitals, education, public health, and community advocacy to collaborate on this project. Please reach out to Rachel Peterson at rachel.peterson@mesacounty.us or call 970-623-8479 if you are interested in being involved with this project. All of us have a role to play and we must work together to protect human life.