Transportation Secretary Slater Announces $5 Million in Grants to States, Territories

Topics:  Rodney E. Slater

NHTSA
March 3, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHTSA 07-99
March 3, 1999
Contact: Tim Hurd
Tel. No. (202) 366-9550

U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced distribution of nearly $5 million in incentive grants to improve traffic safety data systems in 47 states, the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands, and Puerto Rico.

"President Clinton has challenged us to make our communities safer, demonstrating again that safety his the highest transportation priority," Secretary Slater said. "These funds will help states and communities use the latest technology to develop better safety strategies, and thus reduce crashes, prevent injuries and save lives."

This grant program was created in section 2005 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, which President Clinton signed on June 9, 1998.

All states and territories had an opportunity to apply for these grant funds to make improvements to their traffic record systems. All but three states applied: Idaho, Texas and Wyoming did not apply. In the future, the traffic record systems may include information on crashes, drivers, vehicles, and roadways; emergency room treatments, hospital admissions and emergency medical services records. These grants have been authorized by Congress for four years.

"When these data systems are in place and linked together, the information can help states pinpoint and solve traffic safety problems to create safer communities," said Dr. Ricardo Martinez, M.D., administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Thirty states and territories applied for and received implementation grant funds totaling $3,787,800. These applicants already had a basic strategic plan for making improvements to their traffic records systems and performed assessments of their data systems that were no more than five years old. They also had traffic records coordinating committees in place to implement the strategic plan.

Eleven states received initiation grant funds totaling $694,100. These applicants were in the process of developing strategic plans for making traffic records system improvements but had not completed the plans.

Twelve states and territories and the Bureau of Indian Affairs received start-up grant funds totaling $325,000 to begin putting the necessary elements in place to receive implementation or initiation funding in the next few years.

A state-by-state table listing the amounts and types of grants awarded follows.

State or Territory Type of Grant Amount Alabama START-UP $25,000 Alaska IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Arizona IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Arkansas IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 California IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Colorado IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Connecticut IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Delaware IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 District of Columbia START-UP $25,000 Florida IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Georgia INITIATION $63,100 Hawaii IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Illinois START-UP $25,000 Indiana IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Iowa IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Kansas INITIATION $63,100 Kentucky IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Louisiana INITIATION $63,100 Maine IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Maryland IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Massachusetts IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Michigan IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Minnesota IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Mississippi IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Missouri INITIATION $63,100 Montana INITIATION $63,100 Nebraska IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Nevada IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 New Hampshire INITIATION $63,100 New Jersey START-UP $25,000 New Mexico START-UP $25,000 New York IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 North Carolina IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 North Dakota START-UP $25,000 Ohio IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Oklahoma IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Oregon IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Pennsylvania INITIATION $63,100 Rhode Island IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 South Carolina IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 South Dakota INITIATION $63,100 Tennessee INITIATION $63,100 Utah INITIATION $63,100 Vermont IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Virginia INITIATION $63,100 Washington IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 West Virginia START-UP $25,000 Wisconsin START-UP $25,000 American Samoa START-UP $25,000 Guam START-UP $25,000 Indian Nations (Bureau of Indian Affairs) START-UP $25,000 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands START-UP $25,000 Puerto Rico IMPLEMENTATION $126,260 Virgin Islands START-UP $25,000

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