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Batesville council hears traffic‑safety plan aiming to cut fatal and serious‑injury crashes 50% by 2035
Summary
Consultants and city staff presented an FHWA SS4A planning study that identifies seven priority corridors and sets a goal to reduce fatal and serious‑injury crashes by 50% in Batesville by 2035, with possible implementation funding of up to $30 million.
Consultants from Kimley‑Horn briefed the Batesville City Council on a federally funded traffic‑safety plan that targets a 50% reduction in fatal and serious‑injury crashes on the city’s road network by 2035.
Doug Sweat of Kimley‑Horn told council members the study was paid for by a $300,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning grant from the Federal Highway Administration and produced a Safety Action Plan that identifies a High Injury Network and a prioritized list of seven corridors and intersections. ‘‘We’re focused on fatal and serious‑injury crashes,’’ Doug Sweat said, noting the plan uses crash data and public input to guide project selection and policies.
The consultants reported 50 fatal and serious‑injury crashes on Batesville roads from 2018–2022, roughly 10 per year, and said 2023 data showed a similar trend. Cole (Kimley‑Horn) described how the team added equity, public‑engagement and facility‑location layers to crash data to form a prioritized network that includes Main Street near the railroad and segments of Harrison, St. Louis, Central Avenue and Broad Street.
Jeff (city presenter) said the SS4A plan is intended to lead to future implementation funding; he and the consultants said the planning work makes the city eligible to seek grants that could provide as much as $30 million for construction and technology improvements. The team reported 74 survey responses and 17 mapped comments from public engagement, and said the next steps include developing toolboxes of countermeasures, performance metrics and a staff‑usable set of solutions for the highest‑risk locations.
Council members asked how Batesville’s crash rate compares with peer cities; Cole said Batesville’s 10 fatal/serious crashes per year is ‘‘a relatively low number’’ compared with many communities but acknowledged even a small number of severe crashes warrants action. The consultants stressed some crash drivers (vehicle type, driver age, single events) are outside local control, but that targeted infrastructure and policy changes can lower crash severity.
The project team said they will return with a final plan for council adoption later in the year and pursue implementation grants pending city approval. The council did not take formal action on the plan at the meeting; staff indicated a planned presentation to council for adoption after completion of the full plan and performance metrics.
