CRTPA updates Tallahassee commission on Safe Streets for All plan; city accepts report

Tallahassee — The Tallahassee City Commission on Wednesday accepted an update on the Safe Streets for All Action Plan prepared by the Capital Regional Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA), which maps high‑injury corridors and identifies projects eligible for federal safety funding.

Greg Slay, executive director of the CRTPA, told commissioners the plan used five years of crash data (2017–2021) and established a regional aspirational goal of zero traffic fatalities by 2040. Slay described two mapped “high injury networks”: one covering all crash types and another focused on vulnerable users (pedestrians and bicyclists).

The presentation listed completed and funded work tied to the plan, including newly installed raised crosswalks and speed tables on Pensacola and St. Augustine streets (a roughly $250,000 project), lighting upgrades on Tennessee Street, and a DOT resurfacing project on Pensacola Street that will include crosswalk and lighting improvements. Slay said the city had identified a $9.6 million Safe Streets for All (SS4A) implementation award for the Jake Gaither pedestrian safety project — a larger project the city estimates will cost roughly $11–12 million including local match — and that the city had about $5 million in federal sidewalk funds to spend over the next three years on projects including Waverly Way, Old St. Augustine and Safe Routes to School segments.

Slay also summarized work that was submitted for competitive SS4A funding but not awarded, including a $21 million North Monroe application that received high scores but “did not make the final cut.” He told commissioners the CRTPA and city will continue refining corridor‑level analyses to develop engineering countermeasures and convert high‑injury segments into fundable projects.

Commissioners asked for clarity about implementation: who oversees projects, how recommendations become funded work, and what local staff will do next. City staff said the Public Infrastructure Engineering section coordinates project development with planning, transit and bike/ped staff and will continue to embed safety countermeasures in resurfacing work and capital projects. The commission was told resurfacing projects are screened for bike/ped opportunities during the city’s resurfacing program and that specific project delivery and DOT coordination are required for state corridors such as Tennessee Street.

The action before the commission was to accept the CRTPA’s report as presented; Mayor Pro Tem moved to accept the report, Commissioner Richardson seconded, and the commission voted unanimously 5‑0 to accept the update.

Key figures cited in the presentation: CRTPA used 2017–2021 crash data; the federal SS4A program allocated $5 billion nationwide; Tallahassee‑area projects included a $9.6 million SS4A award for Jake Gaither and approximately $5 million in federal sidewalk funds for city projects over three years.

Commissioners and staff said they expect further corridor‑level planning work and continued coordination with FDOT and CRTPA on state‑owned roadways. The city will also monitor safety projects after construction to measure effects on crash rates and pedestrian safety.

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Motion: accept CRTPA Safe Streets for All report. Moved: Mayor Pro Tem. Second: Commissioner Richardson. Vote: 5‑0 unanimous.