The number of people getting struck by cars while walking, running, or biking is rising, leading to efforts to make it safer for pedestrians across New York.

The Safer Streets and Roads for All grant program is providing funds to communities to prevent deaths and serious injuries.

Those involved say it’s a chance to not only make roads safer, but more enjoyable for all.


What You Need To Know

  • Federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grants program funds traffic projects for communities around the nation

  • The goals of the grants are to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries

  • The next opportunity for communities to apply for the funds is in February

Robbie MacCue, assistant chief of Colonie EMS, wants to invest in a way to keep emergency personnel safer when responding to calls, a transponder that would alert cars nearby when an ambulance is getting close.

“If you're driving down the road and an emergency vehicle is approaching, your infotainment system, the vehicle's navigation system, would alert you, saying 'emergency vehicle approaching or emergency scene ahead, use caution,'" MacCue said.

He’ll have a chance to do so through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. It awards funds to communities around the country to implement plans that could prevent or reduce traffic accidents.

“We know that for every minute of delay, the chance of somebody that had a serious accident, their mortality goes up," MacCue said. "Since 2020, there are over 40,000 roadway deaths in the U.S., and that number went up almost 10% in one year.”

Across the state, over $18 million in funds will be available. Along with Colonie and the Capital District Transportation Authority in the Capital Region, communities in the Hudson Valley, Central and Western New York will receive grants. 

A full listing of the funding awarded can be found here

Kevin Heffernan, communications director for GObike, a nonprofit that promotes active mobility options, says the Safer Streets for All funding helps pave the road to change.

“When you consider our disabled users, or you consider our children, if you can design a city around their safety needs, you are improving safety for everyone, including drivers," he said.

MacCue said Colonie’s funds will go a long way toward making the community safer, and emergency workers' jobs a little easier.

“If somebody sees lights and sirens, we want them to pull over slowly to the right in order to make sure emergency vehicles and traffic can get through safely," he said. "We don't want to cause any additional accidents with our response.”