Ohio Invests $137.5M in 55 Traffic Safety Projects Across 41 Counties

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn announced a $137.5 million investment in 55 traffic safety projects across 41 counties as part of the state's Highway Safety Improvement Program. Nearly half of these projects focus on pedestrian safety, including sidewalk construction, shared-use paths, and crosswalk improvements, addressing the state's high pedestrian fatality rate of 125 deaths last year and 50 so far this year. Additional projects target roadway departure crashes, which account for about half of Ohio’s traffic fatalities, through shoulder widening and curve realignments. The program prioritizes locations with a history of severe crashes and aims to improve roadways and intersections with data-driven safety enhancements such as roundabouts and reduced collision U-turns. Officials highlight the program as the largest highway safety initiative per capita in the nation, contributing to a decline in traffic deaths since 2021. Local communities, including those in Northeast Ohio, are set to benefit from significant funding allocations for roundabouts and pedestrian infrastructure.