Rexburg council adopts safety action plan to pursue federal Safe Streets funding

Rexburg — The Rexburg City Council voted May 20 to adopt a comprehensive Safety Action Plan designed to reduce serious crashes and make the city eligible for federal Safe Streets for All (SS4A) construction grants.

The plan, prepared by Keller Associates and presented by consultant Nathan Clever, recommends a vision‑zero approach and a safe‑system framework that mixes infrastructure projects, policy changes and non‑infrastructure steps such as enforcement and education. Clever told the council the package identifies multiple intersection and segment projects concentrated in high‑pedestrian zones, and that adopting the plan is a prerequisite to applying for SS4A construction funds.

Council members pressed staff and the consultant on the data behind the proposals. Clever said the team analyzed crash records from 2020–2024 (about 430–450 crashes per year) and identified the 20 highest crash locations using a scoring system that weights fatalities and serious injuries more heavily. He also described public outreach that included an online storyboard and a public meeting; staff reported roughly 160 respondents to the initial outreach and follow‑up engagement on project priorities.

The plan ranks projects by expected safety benefit and cost and separates near‑term, mid‑term and long‑term work so the city can pursue the portion that best matches available funding. Clever said the specific application the city will pursue emphasizes pedestrian and university‑district projects, which the project team judged most competitive for the current SS4A round.

Council discussed cost estimates (multi‑million totals for full implementation), the limits of local funding, and possible non‑infrastructure measures such as college partnerships for safety education. Staff told the council the SS4A application deadline had been moved up, making prompt adoption necessary.

A council member moved to adopt the plan; the motion was seconded by Council Member Johnson and passed by the council. Mayor Jerry Merrill thanked staff and the consultant for the work and said the plan should help make Rexburg safer for all road users.

What happens next: With council approval the city will post the plan and proceed with the SS4A construction grant application. If the grant is awarded, specific design and construction work would follow city procurement and project selection processes.