Lackawanna County adopts 'Safe Streets for All' safety action plan citing spike in severe crashes

The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on March 18 adopted the county’s Safe Streets for All traffic-safety action plan, a data-driven blueprint designed to reduce fatal and serious-injury crashes and to help municipalities compete for safety funding.

County planning staff told commissioners the plan, developed with a $200,000 federal grant and consultant support, identified a high-injury network that represents roughly 6% of roadway mileage but accounted for more than half of fatal and serious injury crashes between 2019 and 2023. Staff reported 399 fatal or serious injury crashes in that period, including 87 that were fatal. The plan sets a goal of reducing those fatal and serious injuries by 50% by 2045.

The plan divides the county into four planning regions, relies on a Safe System approach and the six E’s (engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement, evaluation and equity), and lists priority projects such as MusK Street/PA-307, Scranton–Carbondale Highway segments, and State Street in Clark Summit. Commissioners commended staff for extensive public engagement, surveys and focus-group meetings used to shape the plan.

Adoption of the plan means municipalities will be able to reference the county framework when applying for state and federal transportation-safety funding. Commissioners said they will ask local governments to sign on to the plan and will run webinars and assistance sessions for municipal partners.

What happens next: County staff will host a webinar for municipalities in the coming weeks, and municipalities will be invited to sign on so the plan can be used to strengthen grant applications and coordinate local safety investments.