The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has announced that $1,016,000 would be awarded to the City of Jacksonville through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program to implement several “quick-build” roadway safety projects, also known as demonstration projects, or tactical urbanism. The competitive grant program was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to fund transportation-related planning, demonstration, and construction projects aimed at preventing roadway deaths and serious injuries.
The quick-build projects will provide Jacksonville communities the opportunity to experience safer street designs hands-on, before committing to permanent infrastructure investments. The demonstration projects are a cost-effective way to quickly implement roadway safety improvements, becoming permanent installments only after the designs are accepted by the residents that use them. Quick-build projects vary in scope and cost, ranging from simple intersection crossing improvements that lower stress levels for pedestrians and bicyclists, to several miles of temporary bike lanes, protected from vehicles by curbing or bollards, that safely connect residents to schools, employment centers, and other essential destinations.
The awarded project, entitled City of Jacksonville Vision Zero Quick Build Projects: Safer Streets for All Jaxons! aligns with the ongoing development of the City’s first Vision Zero Action Plan (VZAP), which will include extensive public outreach to determine the locations and types of demonstration projects that will be implemented. The VZAP is slated for completion in early 2025, followed shortly thereafter by the construction of the yet-to-be-identified quick-build projects.
To view the entire list of USDOT awardees, please visit transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/press-releases