SACRAMENTO — Caltrans announced today that it is awarding more than $225 million for local projects designed to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads. Funding is provided through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).
“Safety is always Caltrans’ top priority,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “These projects will enhance systemwide safety features, including enhancing safety for people who walk and bike, and move us closer to our vision of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries on roadways throughout the state by 2050.”
Projects approved today in Lassen County include:
- Lassen Center Road (County Road A27) in Lassen County: Install edge rumble strips, centerline rumble strips and high friction surface treatment along length of corridor and advance curve warning and chevrons signs at two curves.
"This funding for transportation safety is crucial for improving and maintaining the safety of our District 2 transportation infrastructure," said Caltrans District 2 Director Dave Moore. "These safety projects will help work towards reducing the number of crashes and fatalities in Lassen County, creating a safer community for everyone."
A total of 282 projects from 155 local agencies will receive HSIP funds for safety enhancements that include pedestrian crossing enhancements, bike safety improvements and new traffic signals, roundabouts, turn lanes, rumble strips and guardrails. Caltrans awards these grants every other year to cities, counties and tribal governments.
Caltrans is using the Safe System approach – which emphasizes multiple layers of protection, including safer road designs – to achieve its goal of reducing to zero the number of fatalities and serious injuries on state roadways by 2050. Caltrans’ adoption of the Safe System approach builds on its ongoing work to embed safety in the state’s transportation system, and for that reason all transportation projects the department funds or oversees now must include “complete street” features that provide safe and accessible options for people walking, biking and taking transit.
More information on the program is available at Caltrans’ HSIP page, including a full list of approved projects.