The Transportation Planning Agency Adds Projects, Funding for Star Metro

Below are the news briefs from the monthly meeting of the Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) held on February 18th.

The Board unanimously passed an amendment for the FY 2025 – FY 2029 Transportation Improvement Program adopted by the Executive Committee at the December 2, 2024, meeting. The amendment added the following projects and funding:

-A project set to add lanes and reconstruct lanes on US319 from East Ivan Road to Bloxham Cutoff Road will receive $726,873.

-SR263 Capital Circle from Springhill Road to Orange Avenue will add lanes and reconstruct roadways and receive $5,231,199.

-A project aimed at adding roadway lighting on W Tennessee Street from Aenon Church Road to Blountstown Street will receive $100,000.

-The StarMetro Buses and Bus Facilities Discretionary Grant will provide $20,370,792 in funding from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) and $3,911,546 from the City of Tallahassee to fund the purchase of battery-electric buses, building charging infrastructure, and the development of a workforce training program. This project with StarMetro will help to reduce emissions and increase efficiency and reliability for riders in Leon County.

-The Low or No Emission Discretionary Grant is providing $10,702,365 in FTA funding, $646,687 in state funds from toll credits, and $1,200,000 in funds from Tallahassee to also fund the purchase of a fully electric bus fleet.

The Board unanimously passed new amendments to the Transportation Improvement Program. Included in these amendments are $221,180 in funding for a multi-use path feasibility study on US90 from Gadsden/Jackson County Line to SR 12, $695,412 in funding for a multi-use trail on Old Bainbridge Road from Gadsden County Line to Salem Road.

The amendments also provide $976,480 for the project development and environment phase for a multi-use trail on Old Bainbridge Road from the Leon County line to Orchard Pond Greenway Trail Head, and $822,714 for design of a multi-use trail on Bloxham Cutoff Road from Wakulla Springs to St. Marks Trail Head.

The Board unanimously approved the CRTPA annual safety targets. The safety targets have 5 performance measures: number of fatalities, serious injuries, non-motorized fatalities/serious injuries, and the rate of fatalities and serious injuries per 100 million vehicle miles. The new safety target reflects a 5% reduction from last year’s safety’s reduction.

The latest safety data for 2024, compared to 2023 shows:
• Total fatalities decreased from 67 (2023) to 65.
• Total serious injuries decreased from 210 (2023) to 185.
• Pedestrian fatalities decreased from 16 (2023) to 15.
• Pedestrian serious injuries increased from 23 (2023) to 26.
• Bicyclist fatalities decreased from 4 (2023) to 3.
• Bicyclist serious injuries increased from 4 (2023) to 6.

Information obtained through Signal Four Analytics & FLHSMV. For 2024, serious injury data reflects (January 1 to December 5), the most recently available data.

The CRTPA recorded the lowest number of serious injuries since 2007 and a reduction in fatalities from last year. The Safe Streets and Roads for all action plan adopted in June 2023 is also continuing to pursue funding for projects relating to making the streets safer through sidewalk improvements, signing updates, and various other projects.