Salina commissioners on June 2 authorized the city manager to apply for a $150,000 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law demonstration grant and a matching grant through the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Infrastructure Hub to test safety changes on West Crawford Avenue.

The demonstration project would convert a four‑lane section of West Crawford from Ninth Street to the Dillon’s/Plaza Drive area into a three‑lane cross section — one travel lane each direction with a center turn lane — and install buffered sidewalks, mid‑block crossings and rapid‑flashing beacons at selected crossings. Jim Kowach, deputy director of public works, said the proposals come from a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) the city has been developing with Tool Design Group since mid‑2023.

The plan’s crash analysis covers 2018–2023 and identified 11 fatal crashes and more than 1,100 injury crashes across the city during that five‑year period. Kowach said about 14% of Salina’s road miles account for roughly 76% of fatal and injury crashes, and West Crawford ranked among the highest segments by injury totals. He told commissioners the grant request is for a demonstration project, meaning the city would test countermeasures, measure before/after outcomes and use results to support larger implementation grants once the CSAP is adopted.

Why this matters: the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes separate demonstration and implementation grant funds available; an approved CSAP is required to apply for implementation funding. Kowach said demonstration grants are an option while the city finalizes the plan. Staff identified $150,000 as the demonstration grant request; the city’s cash match would be $6,000 because KDOT’s Infrastructure Hub offers a match program to reduce local match burdens.

Discussion and next steps: Commissioners and members of the public asked questions about traffic volumes, driveway turns, and speed limits on Crawford. Kowach said the segment’s average daily traffic is in the low to mid‑teens of thousands and cited Federal Highway Administration guidance that 3‑lane “road diets” can be effective well above common thresholds in many contexts. He said the pilot is designed to improve left‑turn conflicts, reduce rear‑end crashes and shorten crossing distances for pedestrians; the city plans to collect baseline crash and traffic data and measure outcomes after installation.

The commission vote to allow the city manager to submit the grant application passed 4–0. If awarded, staff said the demonstration would be combined with a planned resurfacing or micro‑surfacing project and would include public engagement, walk audits and performance measurement.

Public comment: residents raised concerns about lane reductions and potential bottlenecks at transition points, and requested clearly defined success metrics before the pilot begins. In response, staff said the application and subsequent project scope will include measurable metrics (eg, crash counts, speeds, pedestrian crossings) and evaluation periods.

If funded, staff expect to return with a design package, a monitoring plan and a timeline for implementation tied to the city’s paving schedule.