(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced $40.9 million in funding for 27 new traffic safety projects focused on protecting pedestrians and preventing roadway departures in 21 counties.
“Whether you walk, bike, ride, or drive, we owe it to everyone to make transportation in our state as safe and efficient as possible,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “These projects are engineered to keep everyone safe."
Roadway departures are the top factor in fatal crashes, accounting for more than half of all traffic deaths in Ohio each year. In 2023, 615 people lost their lives in roadway departure crashes. Pedestrian-involved crashes resulted in 150 deaths last year.
Safety projects that aim to prevent pedestrian fatalities include upgrading or installing pedestrian hybrid beacons at mid-block crosswalks, raised enhanced crosswalks, new sidewalks or multi-use paths, curb bump outs, buffered bike lanes, and traffic calming measures.
To combat roadway departure crashes, safety projects will include widening roadway shoulders, moving ditches and clearing trees and other obstacles further from the road.
“Our mission is to provide a transportation system that is safe, accessible, well maintained, and positioned for the future. However, safety shouldn’t be limited only to certain road types or locations,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.
Funding for these projects comes from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program. Funds will cover all project phases in state fiscal years 2025 through 2030. The bulk of the funding will go to local government entities like municipalities, townships, and county engineers.
Projects are submitted by transportation agencies across the state and reviewed by a multi-disciplinary committee with a background in funding, program management, safety, roadway engineering, traffic operations, and local programs.
Projects are selected based on committee recommendations that consider a variety of factors, including crash severity risk, appropriate use of proven safety countermeasures, design and construction feasibility, and project costs.