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Dell Rapids hears Safe Streets for All plan, consultant outlines local projects and grant boost
Summary
Consultant Kyle Stapel presented the Southeast COG Safe Streets for All regional plan, saying adoption would let Dell Rapids apply for FHWA implementation grants. He cited crash data and public input (about 2,100 site visitors; Dell Rapids contributed 35 surveys and 19 map pinpoints) and outlined low-cost safety countermeasures for local streets.
Consultant Kyle Stapel, a transportation planner with Houston Engineering, told the Dell Rapids City Council on June 15 that the Safe Streets for All regional safety action plan aims to “reduce and eliminate serious injury and fatal crashes.” The plan pairs quantitative crash analysis with qualitative public engagement and, if adopted by the city, would make Dell Rapids eligible for FHWA and state implementation grants.
Stapel said the regional effort generated roughly 2,100 unique visitors, 1,300 contributions, 480 completed surveys and 916 map points; for Dell Rapids specifically he reported 19 map pinpoints and 35 completed surveys. He walked the council through problem locations identified in the data and engagement process — including segments near Fourth Street, Garfield Avenue and a corridor outside the council chamber — and proposed countermeasures ranging from increased lighting and enhanced crosswalk visibility to curb extensions, rumble strips and targeted intersection improvements.
The consultant emphasized that the plan is a prerequisite for many grant programs rather than a commitment to immediate construction: “If you adopt the plan, it does open a pot of implementation grant funds that you can apply for to address the projects that are identified in the plan,” Stapel said. He said the Southeast Council of Governments (SE COG/CCOG) would share performance standards and data tools to help monitor progress over the next five to ten years.
Council members asked about next steps and timing; Stapel said staff would receive the final local plan for review and that a resolution committing the city to the plan would be presented at a later meeting. No vote was taken on adoption at this session.
