ATLANTA — Tens of millions of federal dollars are headed to Atlanta with the goal of making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Voters had already approved $10 million for this project, so when you add in $30 million in federal funds, that's a total of $40 million for safer streets.
"This is going to help us be more connected," Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said.
Mayor Dickens held a press conference on Monday along with Senator Jon Ossoff, and other Atlanta leaders to announce the grant.
"$30 million are on the way to Atlanta for the purposes of making pedestrian and bike access and safety improvements to connect neighborhoods across the south side," Sen. Ossoff said.
That money is part of the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, created through the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
In Atlanta, the funds will add rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, hybrid beacons, crosswalk lighting, roadway reconfiguration, concrete protections for pedestrians, better lighting, medians, safe speed limits, and lines that are easier to see near curves around areas with frequent accidents.
The project will also add bicycle lanes on Pryor Street and Central Avenue – connecting neighborhoods across the south side and connecting the Beltline to Downtown.
Mayor Dickens said this money will bring necessary improvements.
In 2021, there were 30,000 crashes on Atlanta's streets, and 83 people died in those traffic crashes, according to data from the City of Atlanta. Along Pryor Street and Central Avenue alone, nearly 2,000 crashes happened in the last five years, data shows.
"So what we’re dealing with here really matters, it’s an attempt to really save lives," Dickens said.
There is no anticipated start date for the project yet. For more details about the project, click here.