Northwest Ohio secures $1.2 million in federal grants to improve roadway safety

TMACOG, the City of Toledo, and Lucas County will receive $1.2 million in federal transportation funding to advance regional safety strategies to improve roadway safety in Northwest Ohio.

Grant awards from the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) competitive grant program will be invested in projects and strategies that reduce serious injuries and fatalities among drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.

TMACOG will use $80,000 to create safety location reports for Ottawa and Sandusky counties, identifying high-crash intersections and segments that are eligible for safety funding. These reports will provide data-driven insights to guide future investments and ensure that communities beyond the metropolitan core have access to critical safety improvements.

The City of Toledo will receive $542,170 to support additional planning and activities as part of a multi-jurisdictional Northwest Ohio Transportation Safety Action Plan, including a fleet safety assessment, new monitoring technology, crash analysis, and a final report with recommendations for future vehicle purchasing.

Lucas County will receive $653,200 for other work under the transportation safety action plan, including temporary curbs, signal preemption for emergency medical services, speed studies, walk audits, road safety audits, and design tools to evaluate crash and emergency response outcomes.

The SS4A program is part of a national strategy to eliminate roadway fatalities and serious injuries. These investments will save lives, protect families, and strengthen collaboration across communities, ensuring that anyone who walks, drives, bikes, or rides transit can travel through Northwest Ohio with confidence, said Sandy Spang, TMACOG executive director.

“By addressing high-risk intersections and corridors, improving emergency response, and introducing innovative monitoring technology, the region is taking a proactive, data-driven approach to safety,” Spang said.

“This funding will allow us to expand safety planning into Ottawa and Sandusky counties, areas outside the core transportation region historically assigned to us by the federal government. By identifying high-crash locations and prioritizing improvements in these areas, we can help ensure that every community in Northwest Ohio has access to safer roads.”