UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente announced on Monday, August 14, that a new grant has been shared between Oneida and Herkimer Counties for a road safety action plan.

Picente announced that the two counties will share almost $416,000 to devise a strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries by implementing projects, safety countermeasures, policy recommendations and high-impact improvements.

“Crashes on roadways have serious consequences,” Picente said in a statement. “This grant will allow our two counties, for the first time, to have a comprehensive safety plan that will reduce the risk to our residents and visitors. Our roadways must be safe for everyone who uses them, and this will lead to less injuries and fatalities, as well as the reduction of millions of dollars in taxpayer money for accident-related costs.”

The foundation of the plan will be a safety analysis of existing conditions and needs within both counties. It will engage a process that is structured to include Utica’s Complete Streets initiative and the multi-national Vision Zero program. The total cost of the project will total just over $500,000 with the local share being split 80-20 between Oneida and Herkimer Counties, respectively.

“We are working together with Oneida County and the Herkimer-Oneida County Transportation Council to make our roadways safe for everyone, including our first responders and emergency vehicles,” Herkimer County Chairman Jim Bono said in a statement. “It is essential that this step is taken now to support the continued growth of our two counties.”  

Oneida County officially applied for the grant, but they will partner with the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Council as grant administrators.