Rogers County approves USDOT demonstration grant to study rural road safety
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Summary
Rogers County commissioners approved administration of a FY23 USDOT demonstration grant of about $260,000 to test safety improvements on rural roads; staff said $90,000 is budgeted for a third party and community engagement and that success could unlock much larger implementation funding.
Rogers County commissioners on Dec. 31 approved a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation to implement a demonstration project under the Safer Streets and Roads for All program.
Bronson, speaking for the sheriff’s office and county staff, told the board the demonstration grant is roughly $260,000 and that approximately $90,000 of the funds are earmarked to hire a third party and hold town-hall meetings across Rogers County to gather public input on rural road safety. "We're gonna discuss with the public what they feel like are issues or safety issues with rural county roads here in Rogers County, and then we will come up with a strategic plan to implement those demonstration pieces," he said.
Bronson said the demonstration aims to show the county’s solutions can work; if successful, he said it could make Rogers County eligible for implementation grants in the range of $16 million to $20 million to carry out countywide safety projects. The board voted to authorize county staff to administer the grant and sign related documents.
The grant term was described as ending in 2027 (staff said they believed the grant expiration is Jan. 1, 2027 and would verify the exact date). Staff outlined sample topics for the demonstration, including measures to slow traffic, mitigate wrong-way driving, address animal crossings and improve safety at train crossings.
Next steps: staff said they will conduct public engagement before selecting specific demonstration treatments and will return to the board with findings before seeking implementation funding.
