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Nine Georgia communities will receive federal funding to implement improved safety features like pedestrian crossings and bicycle lanes, new walking paths and bridges, better signage and lighting to help prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock, D-GA, and Jon Ossoff, D-GA, announced that over $37 million in federal funding has been designated for Georgia  to help promote better connectivity among communities and help local governments create and execute comprehensive safety action plans for further funding opportunities. 

The funds are being provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which established the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program at the Department of Transportation that will provide over $5 billion in grants over the next several years. The funding supports local initiatives through competitive grants and supports the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy. The goal is to achieve zero deaths or serious injuries on roadways. 

“Safer streets are not just about protecting the vehicles we drive—they are about protecting lives and bolstering safety for all our neighbors,” said Warnock. 

The communities receiving the funding are Buckhead, Carrollton, Coweta County, East Point, Gwinnett County, LaFayette, Macon-Bibb County, Montgomery County and Savannah. 

Ossoff added: “Through the bipartisan infrastructure law, Senator Warnock and I are delivering upgrades to ensure pedestrian and commuter safety across Georgia. We will continue delivering infrastructure upgrades across Georgia through this historic bipartisan effort.” 

The City of Savannah will receive nearly $10 million to improve safety on 37th Street. The project area is the gateway to downtown and midtown Savannah and connects people to major business corridors in the area. The area has seen a dramatic rise in crashes since 2020 and is one of the city’s highest risk roadways. The project will consist of upgrades to 15 intersections that need systemic safety improvements. 

The City of Carrollton will receive $9.2 million to create a half mile stretch of a Complete Streets system on a busy section of Maple Street—the primary corridor between the University of West Georgia and the downtown square—to make it safer for people who are walking and biking. The downtown area has seen an influx of new businesses and homes, but neighborhood amenities are not easily accessible due to minimal pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure.  

Macon-Bibb County will receive $5.63 million to improve Gray Highway and East Macon Loop by adding one mile of new sidewalks to Gray Highway and three miles of multi-use paths along side streets. The Buckhead Community Improvement District is receiving $10 million to partner with the City of Atlanta and GDOT to construct a half-mile path and elevated pedestrian and bicycle bridge at the GA 400 interchange and Lenox Road. The project is designed to reduce the high frequency of crashes, which includes over 1,000 crashes in a 3-year timespan, and provide a safe transportation alternative for pedestrians and bicyclists in the project area.   

The City of LaFayette, City of East Point, Montgomery County, and Coweta County will receive funding to develop a comprehensive safety action plan.