San Antonio's efforts to make its streets safer have received a significant boost, thanks to two notable grants aimed at traffic enforcement and roadway improvements. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has continued its over 20-year tradition of awarding the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant to the San Antonio Police Department. FOX San Antonio reports that this grant will underwrite officer overtime for combating driving-related offenses, including D.W.I., distracted driving, and speeding throughout the city.
In parallel, San Antonio grabbed the attention of the federal government for improvements on Culebra Road, known as one of the city's most perilous thoroughfares. The city was awarded $8 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation's RAISE Program, as tallied by KENS 5. The funding aims at making a 5-mile stretch between 410 and General McMullen safer, for not just drivers but also bicyclists, transit riders, and pedestrians.
Statistics gathered by KENS 5 paint a grim landscape of Culebra Road's past, noting over 3,435 crashes and more than 50 fatalities in the last decade. The stories behind these numbers are heart-wrenching, such as the incident that took the life of 32-year-old motorcyclist Anthony Galvan. His sister, Priscilla Henderson, told KENS 5, "He was on his motorcycle and a BMW turned in front of him and he got hit. They just said they didn't see him...it's like that was their get out of jail free card."
Regarding the $8 million grant, Congressman Joaquin Castro expressed the significance of addressing Culebra Road's dangers. "This $8 million investment from the Biden-Harris administration will kickstart a much-needed transformation to make Culebra Road safer for the thousands of people who rely on it every day," Castro told KENS 5. The initial investment will fund pre-construction activities like consulting and design, and the city is poised to vie for additional federal grants to cover the estimated total cost of $100-$110 million for the project's totality.
Future community involvement is anticipated late 2024, where public input sessions will grant residents the opportunity to influence the project before implementation. According to Razi Hosseini, Director and City Engineer for San Antonio's Public Works Department, featured amenities are set to include "a very nice sidewalk, landscaping, bike lanes, streetlighting, improving intersection, improved drainage," to improve the roadway's safety, as per KENS 5. These measures dovetail with the city's broader Vision Zero initiative, striving for a death-free traffic environment.
