Freeport hears Safe Streets Action Plan presentation tied to federal SS4A grant

Matthew Dirdall, project manager for Alta Planning and Design, told the Freeport City Council that the firm is developing a Safe Streets Action Plan for the city as part of a federally backed Safe Streets for All (SS4A) planning grant. The presentation described a “safe systems” approach that sets a goal of zero deaths and zero life‑changing injuries on the city’s roads and explained how the planning document will make Freeport eligible for later construction funding.

The plan centers on a systemic safety analysis, public engagement and an implementation schedule. “Death and very serious injuries on our roads are unacceptable, and 0 is the goal,” Dirdall said, summarizing the safe‑systems premise. He asked residents to use an interactive online map, attend an open house the next evening at City Hall from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and participate in technical advisory committee meetings and focus groups being held during the consultant’s visit.

City staff said the planning work ties to a federal funding pipeline. “It is a $500,000 project with a $400,000 grant,” said Darren (staff), explaining the SS4A planning grant structure and that completing the required planning process is a prerequisite to applying for implementation (construction) funds administered through IDOT and FHWA. The presentation said the planning process will include an equity analysis that maps demographic and transportation‑access variables to help prioritize projects in the final implementation plan.

Council members pressed for details on the data behind the consultant’s maps. Dirdall said the team started with a ten‑year crash dataset and uses the most recent five years of data for high‑injury‑network analysis to identify corridors with concentrated serious crashes. “We’ll develop crash profiles,” he said, and then match proven countermeasures to the crash types found. He also noted common local issues observed on a site visit: wide travel lanes, four‑to‑two lane transitions, limited sidewalks in spots and slip lanes that reduce pedestrian safety.

Public discussion during the presentation included questions about who sits on the plan’s technical advisory committee and how stakeholders were invited. Dirdall and Darren said the TAC includes city departments and external partners such as police, fire, transit, the park district, school district and college, and local bike groups; invitations were sent to the city’s major partners. Alderman Monroe asked about the date range for crash data; Dirdall confirmed the 10‑year and 5‑year splits used for different analyses.

The consultant described the final product as a plan and implementation roadmap to be completed in late fall 2025, with a project dashboard and prioritized short‑, medium‑ and long‑term projects. City staff emphasized that completing the plan is required to make Freeport eligible for SS4A implementation funding. The presentation concluded with a call for resident participation in the online map and the open house.