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Date: 10/11/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The City Council approved a $64,950 fiscal year 2023 (FY23) grant that will increase the city’s road safety measures during the council’s Oct. 3 meeting.
Springfield Police Department Traffic Bureau Lt. Mel Kwatowski presented the grant to the council. Kwatowski shared that the grant is a part of a $5 million FY23 program focused on enhancing traffic safety with the aid of additional enforcement and other mechanisms.
“The grant program will support high visibility enforcement,” said Kwatowski.
Among the proactive measures, Kwatowski explained that the grant will aid five different traffic enforcement mobilization efforts, including winter impaired driving, distracted driving, the Click It or Ticket seat belt program, speed enforcement and impaired driving.
“These types of mobilizations help make Springfield a safer place to live, work and visit,” said Kwatowski.
The grant and road safety programs follow a “very high fatality rate” in 2021 regarding road safety, according to Kwatowski. He shared that 21 fatalities occurred on the roadways in Springfield. To help curb dangerous road activity, the Springfield Police Department issued 12,488 traffic citations last year, with the Traffic Bureau distributing 36 percent of those citations.
Additionally, Kwatowski said the bureau is working with the East Springfield Citizens Council as a part of the grant. The citizen organization will implement check your speed events to proactively advocate against speeding in the city. The grant will also fund increased signage to warn drivers of upcoming traffic enforcement.
Kwatowski views the grant and the bureau’s other safety programs as a critical means of enhancing the city’s public safety. The lieutenant shared that the success of the grant will be measured by its ability to reduce car crashes and roadside fatalities in Springfield.
“This goes a long way in assisting the city with public safety,” said Kwatowski. For 2022, Kwatowski revealed that the city continues to be “well below” the 2021 roadway fatalities metric.
Ward 6 City Councilor Victor Davila expressed his support for the grant and the Traffic Bureau’s vision for addressing road safety matters.
“I’m glad to support this. As we all know, speeding does cost lives,” said Davila.
City Councilor At-Large Kateri Walsh considered the grant a “timely” inclusion.
“This will be very helpful throughout the city,” said Walsh.
The council approved the grant in a unanimous vote.
The City Council will meet again on Oct. 17.