Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Funds Available for Transportation Safety Programs

Over the past several years agencies and programs across Northwest Missouri have received funding for programs aimed at reducing the number of injuries and fatalities on our roadways. With more than 40 fatalities in the 20 counties of Northwest Missouri during 2018, the work is not over yet. To assist agencies in this fight towards zero deaths in Northwest Missouri and across the state, the Northwest Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is once again issuing grants.

Beginning Aug. 17, the coalition will begin accepting applications for our next round of grant funding for the 2021 fiscal year.

"Even one death from a car crash is too many,” says Larry Stobbs, chair of the coalition's Northwest Region. “We want to partner with the great agencies and organizations who need assistance to complete traffic safety programs that may otherwise have to be shelved due to lack of funds.”

Organizations eligible to apply for these funds include schools, community groups, law enforcement, health departments, and others. Online grant applications are available now: Grant Application. Completed applications are due by the close of business on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, with award announcements to be made in October. Award funds must be spent, and all reimbursement paperwork submitted prior to May 1, 2021.

To be eligible for the grants, programs must address at least one of the emphasis areas identified in Missouri’s Blueprint document. These include serious crash types, high-risk drivers and occupants, special vehicles, vulnerable roadway users, and special roadway environments. The more widespread the impact the program has, and the longer it lasts, the better chance it has to receive some of the limited funds. Further information on these emphasis areas is available in the Blueprint for Safer Roadways available for download at www.savemolives.com.

If you’d like to learn more about the Northwest Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, a virtual meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., via Google Teams. If you would like a weblink to the meeting, please email Larry Stobbs at lastobbs@stjoemo.org. The meeting is open to anyone interested in saving lives and preventing serious injuries on Missouri roadways.

For more information, contact Northwest Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety Chairperson Larry Stobbs, Jr. at 816-236-1474, or your local regional planning commission, as noted on the application.


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