The City of Auburn announced on April 17 that it has received grant funding to develop two major initiatives: an Active Transportation Plan and a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. Both plans were created in partnership with the community to improve safety and expand opportunities for walking and biking throughout Auburn.
These efforts are designed to address safety concerns for all roadway users while also promoting healthier, more connected neighborhoods. The Active Transportation Plan sets out a vision for a network of trails, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other infrastructure elements that enable safe travel by walking, bicycling, wheelchair use, or scootering in Auburn and nearby areas.
The Comprehensive Safety Action Plan focuses on reducing or eliminating serious injuries and fatal crashes involving any type of road user. According to the city’s announcement, benefits from these plans include fewer deaths or injuries on streets and roads, safer neighborhoods that encourage walking and biking, better connections between families and local destinations like schools or transit stops, improved public health outcomes through reduced disease rates or obesity levels, less air pollution, as well as savings on gas costs and car maintenance.
Implementation timelines for projects identified in either plan may range from three to ten years or longer. However, the city notes that adopting these plans does not commit it to funding every proposed project. Instead, developing the Active Transportation Plan (ATP) and Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) is described as “the first step” toward securing additional grants needed for planning work as well as eventual construction.
Next steps after adoption will involve seeking further grant funding both for detailed design phases and actual construction of improvements outlined in each plan.
