Susan Wild: Federal funding 'will make Easton’s roads and streets safer'

• Easton has been approved for a Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant, Congresswoman Susan Wild announced Thursday
• The $120,000 grant will go toward improving road safety for all by using the funds for planning initiatives to reduce fatalities and injuries
• Easton City Council approved a measure to apply for the grant in June 2023, with an intent to reduce fatalities and injuries 75% by 2030

EASTON, Pa. — Easton has been approved for a grant that allows for safer streets across the metropolitan area, Congresswoman Susan Wild announced Thursday.

A release from Wild confirmed the city has been awarded a $120,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, a federally funded effort by the U.S. Department of Transportation which will allow Easton to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to increase safety for drivers and pedestrians.

Easton City Council approved a measure to apply for the grant in June 2023, with an intent to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries by 75% by 2030 – with an ultimate goal of ending those fatalities and injuries completely.

Safe Streets and Roads for All, stemming from the Bipartisan and Infrastructure Law, includes about $5 billion in discretionary funding intended for distribution from 2022 through 2026, with an intent to benefit regional, local, and Tribal initiatives aimed at preventing roadway deaths and injuries.

“This investment is great news that will make Easton’s roads and streets safer for both drivers and pedestrians,” Wild said in a release. “I’m proud to have supported the City of Easton’s application for this grant funding, and I’ll continue working to bring back federal investments to make our communities safer places to live.”

In June, Greater Easton Development Partnership Executive Director Jared Mast supported the council in applying for the grant, calling attention to the need for expanded safety measures in the wake of recent accidents.

This included the story of Saifeddin Alrefai, 77, who was hit by a vehicle while crossing Larry Holmes Drive, another in which a Lafayette College student was hospitalized and another who had minor injuries when they were hit by a vehicle while biking at a crosswalk at McCartney Street and High Street.

At the same meeting, Mayor Sal Panto Jr. noted several intersections across the city, particularly in the College Hill neighborhood, along with the cross-section of Knox Avenue and McCartney Street, and Lafayette Street and West Cattell Street, which were problematic for accidents.

Panto said city administrators were excited about the chance to make Easton a safer place for citizens and visitors to walk, bike and drive upon hearing of the approval of the grant.

“Some of our streets were designed in the 19th century, and this grant will help us come up with innovative ways to adapt them to safely accommodate our residents and visitors. We are grateful for the support of the US Department of Transportation and our federal representatives who advocated for our behalf for this project, including Representative Wild and Senator Casey,” Panto said in the release.

Wild had sent a letter of support for Easton’s application to the U.S. Department of Transportation, urging that the city should receive full consideration for the planning grant.

The city provided references to several areas, including the aforementioned intersections, which saw “unusually high crash rates,” noting the funding for a planning grant would help guide projects to make Easton’s roads safer.