Gary unveils Safe Streets plan as consultants map high-injury corridors and grant strategy

City of Gary officials and consultants presented a draft Safety Action Plan March 4 that maps the city’s “high-injury network,” summarizes crash and pedestrian-safety data and outlines strategies intended to make streets safer and position the city to apply for federal implementation grants under the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program.

The presentation, led by senior transportation planner Jake Visser of the consulting team (TYLEN) and introduced by City Engineer William Allen, set out data from 2018–2022 showing a concentration of severe crashes on major corridors and described a phased strategy — from policy/alignment work and enforcement targeting to road diets and targeted capital projects — to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.

Visser told the council the plan is the eligibility and prioritization step required to pursue federal implementation funds. "Over those 5 years, you're looking at about 2,700 total crashes each year, resulting in over 400 serious injuries," Visser said, adding the data showed about 15 fatalities annually and a disproportionate risk to people walking and biking.

Why it matters: the SS4A program requires jurisdictions to have a finalized safety action plan before they can receive implementation funding. The consultants said the plan will let Gary prioritize projects where the same small portion of the street network produces a large share of severe crashes, and therefore where dollars should have the largest safety return.

Key findings and data

- Crash totals and severity: Consultants reported roughly 2,700 crashes per year on city streets (interstates excluded), more than 400 serious injuries per year and about 15 fatalities per year for 2018–2022. - Pedestrian and bicycle impacts: Over the five-year review there were 12 pedestrian deaths and 2 cyclist deaths; Visser reported that an average of about 30 people walking or biking were killed or seriously injured per year in Gary. - High-injury network: Roughly 6% of the roadway network corresponds to about 50% of the city's severe crashes. Corridors highlighted in the draft plan included Broadway, Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Melton, Grant Street and Ridge Road. - Common contributing factors: Investigators flagged failure to yield, excessive speed, improper lane use, disobeying traffic controls and roadway departure as contributors to the majority of severe crashes.

Proposed strategies and examples

The plan groups actions under six broad strategies: align city policies to a safe-systems approach; strengthen and modernize enforcement and accountability; implement traffic calming and speed-management programs; promote a "Gary Streets for Everyone" vision to support walking, biking and transit; support community-led placemaking in downtown; and prioritize infrastructure investments on the high-injury network.

Visser walked the council through a conceptual road-diet example for Fifth Avenue at Grant Street showing a reduction from two through-lanes to one in each direction, adding a left-turn lane and a dedicated north-south bus lane, wider sidewalks and shorter pedestrian crossings. The consultant said the measure is intended to reduce vehicle speeds and exposure at key crossings.

Council questions and staff responses

Council members asked about timelines, interim measures and benchmarking. Visser said the plan is expected to be finalized this month and that a Notice of Funding Opportunity for implementation would be released in spring; if funded, construction of some items could occur in 2026. He also said the team can prepare per-capita comparisons to state and national trends for the final plan.

Councilwoman Ivy asked directly how a road diet would reduce crashes; Visser replied that lane reductions often change driver behavior and reduce travel speeds, and added that engineering, counts and context-specific design would guide any final proposals. Councilman Williams requested immediate attention to problem signage and lane-marking at specific locations; Visser and City staff said some signage/striping fixes could be handled outside the larger grant timeline.

Next steps and community input

Visser said the draft plan would be wrapped up this month and the consulting team will support a federal grant application for the 2025 cycle. The team also said the project website remains open for public feedback and that staff would keep the council informed of next application steps and timelines.

The presentation and data provided a technical foundation for grant eligibility and for targeting enforcement and capital investments. Council members and staff emphasized that some tactical steps (signing, striping, focused enforcement) could be implemented before larger funded construction.

Ending: The council did not vote on the plan on March 4; staff and the consultant said they will finalize the safety action plan this month and support a grant application for the SS4A implementation funding cycle.