Mid-Missouri organizations aiming to enhance roadway safety now have a chance to secure funding. The Central Coalition for Roadway Safety is providing community grants to local agencies, businesses, and groups with strategies to address traffic hazards. Applications are open through September, with the primary goal being the elimination of traffic fatalities and serious injuries on public roads.
Supported by the Central Coalition for Roadway Safety, which represents a partnership spanning 18 counties, these grants draw their idealism from Missouri’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan, dubbed Show-Me Zero. “Zero fatalities is our goal. Anything else is simply unacceptable,” states the plan, with a focus on specific behaviors causing most fatal and serious crashes, provided on the Missouri Department of Transportation's website. The entire grant program is designed to promote strategies that have been proven to work, as detailed by the Show-Me Zero initiative.
Any interested party may apply for the grants, whether it is law enforcement, health departments, or simply community groups craving to make a difference. There's a twist, though, funds aren’t infinite. Each project proposal faces a maximum cap of $5,000 with the understanding that rarer projects might have distinct limitations. Project-specific details such as for Project Graduation events, the cap is set at $200 per event, with $100 allocated for incentives.
At the core of the coalition’s mission is tackling high-risk driving behaviors. Projects focused on reducing risks such as not wearing seat belts, texting while driving, or driving under the influence are eligible for the grant. Organizations aiming to highlight the dangers of distracted and impaired driving are encouraged to be innovative, with grants of up to $700 available for effective school programs addressing these issues.
