To the editor:

The good news: Westport managed to get a “Safe Streets” federal grant to fund a study this year. The bad news: The last thing Westport needs is yet another study. 

Westport has already spent over $2 million in taxpayer-funded studies which spell out the next steps we need to take on topics ranging from Main to Train, Bus/Transit, Railroad Parking and Bike & Pedestrian safety. 

We don’t need to take more time and money studying what we already know needs to be done. We should be creating a better sidewalk network, making our intersections safer for pedestrian crossings, making tough choices to prioritize bike lanes over street parking. We have all the information we need to demand that our elected leaders make the investments now (in staff and capital) to move forward. 

The announcement about Westport’s SS4A Action Grant award omitted to mention that there are two categories of SS4A Grant Awards; the first is “Action Plan Grants.” But the second category is “Implementation Grants.” Implementation Grants (unlike plans or studies ) provide funding for communities to implement strategies and projects that will significantly reduce or eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries.  

This year’s SS4A Implementation Grant awards ranged from $4 million to $30 million. That’s real money that would  make a difference. Key facts about these awards include:

• Over 90 percent of awards will improve the safety of people walking.

• Over 80 percent of awards will improve the safety of people biking.

• Almost two-thirds of awards will provide safety benefits to public transit users and/or persons with disabilities.

Westport is good at getting money for studies, but bad at doing anything with them. 

It’s time we put our efforts toward securing funding for significant capital projects that will impact mobility across the entire town. We have eight months before the next SS4A grant funding cycle. Westport should use the Action Grant funding award to immediately compile the information we have to date and put it in the form of an Implementation Grant application.  

And to ensure our application stands out as compared to others from around the country, Westport should tie our efforts to the excellent work of our neighbor towns on implementing mobility initiatives.  

Westport can once again be a leader on transportation if we together work to get the staffing and capital funding needed to get projects done. 

Jennifer Johnson

Former RTM District 9 representative

Westport