"Last year, we lost 70 residents in traffic incidents,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “My administration is committed to making our roads safer for all of us, including people walking, bicycling, riding transit and driving.  Thank you to the Department of Transportation and our partners in the Federal Delegation for helping us secure these valuable funds." 

The SS4A program was established in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to address and prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.

Development of this Action Plan will build on the City’s previous analysis and planning efforts, including the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, Moving New Orleans Transportation Action Plan and the Safer Streets Priority Finder. Upon completion of the Action Plan, the City will be eligible to apply for Safe Streets and Roads for All Implementation Grants for construction funding in future funding cycles. It will also provide the City a data-driven Action Plan to strengthen the City’s pursuit of roadway safety funds from the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD), including the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), the Local Road Safety Program (LRSP) and the Safe Routes to Public Places Program (SRTPPP).  

This grant from USDOT will fund planning efforts, community engagement and acquisition of big data to inform in-depth analysis. Funding will also go towards activities to enhance the Safe Streets Priority Finder (SSPF), a tool previously developed by a City of New Orleans-led team funded by the USDOT Safety Data Initiative in 2020. The SSPF in its current form will be a valuable part of the data analysis included in the Action Plan development. The proposed enhancements will improve its use and functionality for the city and for communities across the country seeking to develop analyses to inform data-driven roadway safety action plans.  

“I’m happy to join with the Department of Transportation in announcing this funding which will be used to address traffic fatalities and injuries on roadways in my district,” said Congressman Troy Carter. “Developing a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan will reduce traffic crashes and promote roadway safety which will benefit Louisiana communities.”  

“Families in New Orleans should feel confident the roads are safe when driving their children to school,” said Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy. “This project was made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and will allow our communities to rebuild crumbling roads to keep families safe.” 

This was the first round of awards for the new SS4A Program. The City’s proposal was crafted by Mayor Cantrell’s IIJA Task Force. The City created the multi-departmental Task Force in January 2022 to analyze infrastructure needs within the City and secure funding from the new infrastructure law.