Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro announced the Town’s receipt of a $380,000 award from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program.
The funding for the Town of Brookhaven Vision Zero Action Plan is part of $800 million in grants awarded to 510 communities across the country to improve roadway safety planning. The Town of Brookhaven was one of only 12 awards in New York State and the only recipient in Suffolk County.
Action Plan grants assist communities in creating safety plans to reduce roadway fatalities, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive set of actions. The grant will be utilized by the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department to develop a comprehensive safety action plan. Plans may include installing new sidewalks in areas where there have been pedestrian fatalities; adding bike lanes; or building additional traffic control devices, Losquadro said.
The estimated total project cost is $475,000, with the grant covering 80 percent and the Town contributing 20 percent.
“The ultimate goal of this project is to study and create an action plan to avoid fatalities on Town roadways,” said Losquadro. “Solutions may include new traffic control devices; more pedestrian-friendly access; new street designs and configurations to improve safety coupled with increased education. The ultimate goal, however, will be zero deaths on Town roadways.”
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine said, “Traffic safety and saving lives is a top priority in the Town and this study will provide a true measure of the task at hand. I thank Congressman LaLota for his efforts to secure the funding, keeping our tax dollars in Brookhaven Town and his commitment to helping the residents of our community.”
“With as much taxes as Long Islanders pay, we deserve to have smooth roads. To ensure we promote quality of life and motorists’ safety, it is critical that elected officials fight for our fair share of federal funding,” said Congressman Nick LaLota (NY-01). “For every tax dollar New Yorkers send to Washington, we get a mere ninety-three cents back. That is why I am 100% committed to ensuring that as many of our tax dollars make it home as possible to make Long Island more affordable for our families and businesses.”
