Region One Planning Council to receive more than $400,00 to make transportation safer

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - United States Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Wednesday that the Region 1 Planning Council will receive a $400,492 Safe Streets Fall All Action Plan Grant. The money will go towards updating the Regional Transportation Safety Plan and completing Local Safety Action Plans for the City of Rockford, Boone County, and Winnebago County.

These funds will support improved safety planning for more than 50% of the nation’s population and change how roadway safety is addressed in communities through data driven actions.

“National and regional trends are showing an uptick in the number of traffic crashes, particularly fatal crashes on the rise. In order to address these trends, Region 1 Planning Council, as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Rockford Region, and local governments want to make a commitment and take action to significantly reduce all crashes on our roadways and are looking at proven and innovative ways to reverse this trend,” said Representatives with the Council.

R1 will use the funding to update its regional plan, including improving its public engagement. The organization will also collect more data and enhance their analysis to help better determine the cause of crashes in the area. The organization will assist the Forest City, Winnebago County, and Boone County in developing local traffic safety action plans.