San Antonio City Council has greenlit the implementation of the Safe Streets & Roads 4 All (SS4A) grant in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation. With this approval, the city is set to receive $4.4 million over the next five years, aimed at enhancing safety measures along Zarzamora Street.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg expressed the significance of this grant, stating, "The SS4A grant helps San Antonio meet the challenges of its growing population and creates safeguards for some of our most vulnerable residents as they walk, bike, or drive to their destinations along Zarzamora Street."
Administered through the City’s Vision Zero SA program, an additional $1.1 million in City General Funds will support the initiative. The focus will be on implementing mid-block crossings, including the installation of Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons, along the twelve-mile stretch of Zarzamora Street.
Zarzamora Street is among the 10 streets marked by the Vision Zero SA program as particularly hazardous for pedestrians and cyclists. The grant funds will not only facilitate infrastructure improvements but also promote education and safety campaigns on these high-risk city streets, prone to significant traffic injuries and fatalities.
Transportation Department Director Catherine Hernandez emphasized the ultimate goal of the initiative, saying, "Our goal is zero fatalities and serious injuries on San Antonio streets. This grant gets us steps closer to achieving that goal of protecting pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers."
Federal Highway Administration research suggests that the addition of mid-block crossings on Zarzamora Street could potentially lead to a 56-percent reduction in pedestrian crashes, underscoring the potential impact of these safety measures.
