Government shutdown delayed money for road safety improvement in west Alabama

TUSCALOOSA COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - Leaders in west Alabama recently met to talk about road conditions and how to make them safer.

The West Alabama Rural Planning Organization (RPO) links the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and local governments in several rural areas.

Elected leaders and regular citizens in the RPO advise ALDOT on road, bridge and other transportation projects.

After the government shutdown impacted money they expected to make some changes possible, updating their safety plan was one of the biggest topics that RPO members discussed.

That plan called for identifying road safety concerns in a seven-county region.

They applied for federal grant money to put towards a safety action plan, however, the government shut down while they awaited approval of the plan.

“We will use data, crash statistics and meet out in our counties to identify safety concerns in our area, in our whole region,” explained Zane Davis, the Transportation Planning Director for the West Alabama Regional Commission. “Then that will allow those counties, if we get approved, to go after safety project implementation money.”

If the plan is approved, they can apply for money through the Safe Streets For All program to put towards those individual projects.

They hope to find out the status of the money they applied for before their next meeting in February.

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