The White House is allocating millions in federal funding in response to the crisis of fatal crashes and injuries on the nation’s roadways. Some of that money is going to cities across North Texas.
Mitch Landrieu, a senior White House infrastructure adviser, told reporters during a virtual press conference Wednesday that the issue of road safety is near and dear to the president.
"Unfortunately, too many of us know firsthand the pain of losing a loved one in a crash," Landrieu said. "Roadway safety, of course, is personal to the president."
Landrieu named just a few of the hundreds of cities on the Department of Transportation's list to receive grant money to complete projects. About $21 million is going to an improvement project on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in South Dallas.
“This project likewise is going to add bike lines and raised crosswalks and have bus shelters so people can safely connect to public transit and access the library, health centers and grocery stores,” Landrieu said.
Altogether the White House is awarding $800 million to communities across the nation, money that comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.
Landrieu added that much of the funding is going to help underserved communities to improve safety and accessibility.
Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities have gone up in recent years, which the Texas Department of Transportation has also been working to address with a major investment in trails and walkways.
“These are local solutions," said Polly Tottenberg, deputy secretary of transportation. "We're not trying to impose any particular solution on communities. They've come to us often, I think as in the case with Dallas, where they have done a lot of work on the ground with local residents and businesses."
Other North Texas cities — including Arlington, Mansfield, and Frisco — are also getting some of the federal money for planning projects.
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