The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced this week that North Carolina would be receiving $8.15 million in federal grants to help reduce traffic deaths.

The $8.15 million will be distributed to a dozen cities, towns and regional planning organizations in the state from the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All Program.

Of that $8.15 million coming to North Carolina, Greensboro will receive $755,500 – the third highest grant in the state.  The state’s largest city, Charlotte, was the big winner in the grant distribution and will receive $4.4 million, while Raleigh, the state’s second largest city, will receive $800,000.  Fayetteville will receive $404,000 and Durham $400,000. Other communities receiving funding from this federal grant program include Kannapolis, Boiling Springs, Knightdale, Leland, Clemmons, The Land of the Sky Regional Council and Triangle J Council of Governments.

Greensboro and the 10 other towns, cities and regional planning organizations are to use the money to develop new plans to reduce traffic fatalities.  Charlotte’s funding will allow it to implement an existing plan to reduce traffic deaths.

The new plans should help reinforce the NC Vision Zero effort that is already underway in some communities, with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and injuries.

NC Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette said in the press release, “Preventing deaths on North Carolina Roads is our top priority.  We’re grateful anytime our federal partners can assist with funding to help protect our citizens.”

Director of the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program Mark Ezzell said, “Road fatalities area big problem in North Carolina and nationwide.  These grants will help communities solve this crisis by giving local community groups the resources they need to make roads safer for all users.”

The $8.14 million to North Carolina is part of the US Department of Transportation’s $800 million Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program, which allocates a record amount of funding to improve roads and address traffic fatalities.