City of Des Moines to receive $1.56 million federal grant to reduce traffic deaths

The City of Des Moines will receive $1.56 million in federal funding to improve roadway safety as part of a $2.06 million investment announced Thursday for three King County communities, according to the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell.

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program and is intended to reduce traffic related deaths and serious injuries involving drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. In addition to Des Moines, the cities of Redmond and North Bend will also receive grants.

Des Moines will use its $1.56 million award for the Des Moines Safety Demonstration Project, which will test and evaluate speed and safety treatments in targeted corridors and neighborhood streets. According to Cantwell’s office, the project includes near miss data collection, real time signal operation strategies, neighborhood traffic calming, updated signal timing with leading pedestrian intervals, and the installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons at crossings.

The project will also convert a two way stop to a four way stop with a flashing beacon and produce a findings report to guide future safety investments in the city.

Redmond will receive $300,000 to implement traffic calming and speed reduction measures, including pedestrian crossings, rechannelization, roundabouts in downtown and southeast Redmond urban centers, and a citywide speed study. The work will also support updates to Redmond’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.

North Bend will receive $200,000 to develop a citywide Comprehensive Safety Action Plan that prioritizes proven safety countermeasures and establishes performance targets to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.

Cantwell’s office said the grants are part of a broader statewide effort to improve transportation safety. Since the Safe Streets and Roads for All program was established, Washington communities have received $88.8 million for 78 projects. The program was authorized through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed in 2021.

The grants support local Vision Zero plans and other safety improvements aimed at reversing a rise in pedestrian fatalities across Washington, according to Cantwell’s office.

Data about Washington state traffic collisions and fatalities broken down by city and county is available here.