If there were just one change you could make to the streets of Greater Des Moines to have the biggest safety improvement possible, where would it be? What would it look like?
The public is being asked to identify their top-priority safety improvements as part of the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan being developed by the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The public is invited to visit dmampo.org/safety-action-plan, view the “High-Risk Network” and the “High-Injury Network” maps, and leave their thoughts on the most important safety improvements that need to be made. Comments will be collected through Friday, October 18.
“We have dialed in our focus to the High-Injury and High-Risk Networks, with thanks to the public for all their participation so far,” said Mark Holm, MPO Chair and Mayor of Ankeny. “We want to report the findings back to the public now and ask for the public’s help in identifying the specific spots where we should prioritize improvements.”
The planning effort was made possible with an $800,000 planning grant from the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation. A Comprehensive Safety Action Plan is a document that guides local transportation planning leaders in making investments and changes that will eliminate traffic-related fatal and serious injuries over time.
This plan is being developed through detailed analysis of safety data combined with residents’ lived experiences. This data-driven approach is identifying and prioritizing transportation-related safety issues in the region. The planning process will identify key opportunities and actions for engineers, planners, advocates, enforcement, emergency medical services and others to make the biggest impact in the greater Des Moines region.