Consultants working on a regional Safe Streets for All (SS4A) plan presented a draft safety action plan to the Linn County Board of Commissioners on April 14, outlining crash patterns, priority locations and potential countermeasures the county could pursue to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.

Kimley‑Horn representatives Emily Petrentone and Jeff McCarroll, working with the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission, told commissioners their analysis of 10 years of crash data found 23 fatal crashes and 291 serious‑injury crashes within that period in Linn County. The highest concentrations of fatal and serious crashes appear along the US‑69 corridor and at the I‑69/52 interchange, and curve‑related crashes are more prevalent in Linn County than in some neighboring counties.

Petrentone said local and state focus areas were identified by combining the crash data with stakeholder input. "For local roadways, about 10% of the miles accounted for 93% of crashes," she said during the presentation. For state roads, 19% of miles accounted for 93% of crashes. The team recommended concentrating resources on those top‑percentile miles.

Proposed countermeasures the consultants described include rumble strips and removal/delineation of roadside hazards for roadway departures, curve treatments such as enhanced signage and in‑lane warning markings, intersection improvements (advanced and flashing beacons), and targeted investments such as turn lanes or roundabouts where warranted. The consultants noted rumble strips as an effective measure; commissioners and staff discussed rumble strips and bringing the issue to Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) attention for US‑69 segments.

The consultants emphasized that adopting a Vision Zero (zero fatalities/serious injuries) commitment and formalizing a county safety action plan would increase the county's eligibility for federal SS4A grants and strengthen applications for other state and federal safety‑focused funding programs, including KDOT's High‑Risk Rural Roads program and upcoming local consult opportunities.

Commissioners invited the consultants to accept written feedback and review boards placed in the meeting room. The consultants requested feedback over the next few weeks to finalize a draft safety action plan and then present it for adoption; once adopted, the plan becomes a basis for competitive federal grant applications.

Provenance: presentation and Q&A recorded during the meeting; consultants referenced data maps, hot spots and proposed countermeasures; commissioners discussed rumble strips and next steps for project prioritization and grant applications.

Ending: The county will provide feedback to the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission and the consulting team; the draft safety action plan will be revised, then returned for formal adoption to make Linn County eligible for SS4A and other safety grants.