BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Street and transportation safety are a top priority for the City of Bakersfield and local government. Now the city has announced receiving grant of nearly $1.5 million from the Highway Safety Improvement Program. This grant award is for the purpose of making Bakersfield's streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike.
Joseph Conroy with the City of Bakersfield says the city submitted HSIP Grant applications in 2022. The grant has a maximum funding reimbursement ratio of 90 percent, with the awarded agency paying the difference. What this means is that the grant will cover 90 percent of the total project costs and the city will be responsible for the remaining 10 percent.
"Which makes this a lot easier for us to be able to afford to do and to be able to do more of them at the same time," said Conroy. "It's obviously been an important aspect over the last few years, and is something that we want to improve. We'll be expecting to get these projects underway and hopefully completed for the end of the year."
Two of the four projects receiving funding from this grant are the installation of raised street medians and flashing yellow beacons near existing crosswalks at Norris Elementary and Stiern Middle Schools.
A third project involves installing more signs that detect and display drivers' speed.
"There's a program to add radar feedback signs. They would tell you how fast you are going or to slow down if you are exceeding a speed limit in that area and as you are going in a number of different street entrances that historically have had some excessive speed," said Conroy. "We wanted to draw that attention to those drivers."
The city says the fourth project is to replace existing traffic signal backplates with high-visibility reflective backplates. The reflective backplates are set to improve safety at various intersections throughout the city where data shows collisions are most likely to occur.
"It'll be a yellow or orange-ish reflective plating that surrounds the light, and you'll actually see it when your headlights hit it, and it draws your attention a little more. At nighttime mostly, but also during the day, you'll notice those as well," said Conroy.
According to Conroy, in order to continue looking for ways to create projects that benefit the community, the city is gathering input from one of Bakersfield's ad hoc committees to keep these efforts moving forward.
"The city council recently created the Multi-Modal Transportation and Traffic Safety Ad Hoc Committee, and that is to provide guidance for staff to look for different ways to improve safety for our residents. That's been a big topic within the city and also within our staff, and with the city council," said Conroy.
According to Conroy, the grant funds are expected to become available to the city in October, and will be included in the city budget proposal for 2023-24.
