The Davis Police Department acquired three grants amounting to $310,000 with the goal of improving road safety
By LAUREN LEE — city@theaggie.org
On Nov. 6, the California Office of Traffic and Safety (OTS) allocated $310,000 in grants to the Davis Police Department, mainly to help fund the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program. Additional resources and programs will be created in response to the grant, many focusing on Davis youth.
“These grants will support the Department’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program, improve efficiency in the reporting of traffic records and reporting of crash and citation data and to support ongoing enforcement and education programs that help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on our roadways,” a press release from the Davis PD reads.
Bicycle training courses and presentations will be introduced to educate elementary school students on bike safety. In the training courses, instructors plan to acknowledge serious roadway incidents. Heightened road inspections will also take place with more DUI checkpoints and patrols inspecting bicycle roads. Older Davis residents will also be able to engage in walking field trips to actively improve their understanding of pedestrian safety.
In the press release, Barbara Rooney, the director of the OTS, talked about the significance behind these expanding programs.
“Everyone deserves a safe environment to travel, regardless of how people get to places,” Rooney said.
Davis PD Deputy Chief Todd Henry also addressed improvements in the community that will be enacted as a result of the recent funding in the press release. He shared that he believes the programs will help strengthen public safety in Davis.
With a dense population of bikers, funds offered by the OTS will also help Davis use resources to promote better road safety for bicyclists. With a strong scope for improvement, Rooney emphasized the community’s commitment to this endeavor.
“This funding will strengthen our commitment to public safety in our community,” Henry said in the press release. “We will be able to increase our efforts in making our roads safer for everyone and focus on critical areas such as bike safety, distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding.”
Written By: Lauren Lee — city@theaggie.org
