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Midland County authorizes application for federal Safe Streets for All grant to fund lighting, education and emergency‑vehicle alerts
Summary
The Commissioners Court voted to apply for a federal Safe Streets for All grant to fund a countywide lighting study, education/outreach programs, speed‑signage pilots and a digital emergency‑vehicle alert system; staff said the planning/demonstration application could total about $411,000 with an 80/20 federal match.
Midland County Commissioners Court on June 17 authorized county staff to submit an application for the federal Safe Streets for All grant program and directed the county judge to sign the application when it is ready.
Public works and planning staff outlined two funding tracks — planning/demonstration and construction — and said the county is pursuing the planning/demonstration track because construction awards have a $5 million minimum. Planning proposals the county plans to include are a countywide lighting safety study, a driving simulator and education outreach program for youth, additional speed‑display signage and a pilot of a digital emergency‑vehicle alert system that notifies drivers ahead of approaching emergency vehicles.
"We estimate the cost to be about $411,000; the federal program would cover roughly 80 percent and the county would cover the remainder," said the planning staff member (S9), urging quick action because the application was due in nine days.
Virginia Beaulieu, executive director of the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission, told the court the regional planning body can provide technical support and noted the regional plan previously funded by USDOT could be used for an in‑kind match. "We were allowed to use a match of in‑kind services," Beaulieu (S22) said, encouraging the county to pursue the federal funds and to use regional technical assistance.
Court members discussed the four potential components. Supporters cited safety concerns on unlit rural intersections and the potential to reduce crashes; one commissioner said the lighting study and the emergency‑vehicle alert tool were priorities. The emergency‑vehicle alert was described as a device that can integrate with some car manufacturers or navigation apps to warn drivers approximately 30 seconds before an approaching emergency vehicle, a capability county staff said showed promise during DPS ride‑alongs.
The motion to pursue the application and authorize the county judge to sign when complete passed unanimously.
Next steps: county staff will finalize the application materials and submit them before the stated deadline; any award would carry a local cost share and require later budget action if granted.
