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FROM:
Angie Wyatt, Chairman
Cortland County Traffic Safety Board
DATE:
May 14, 2007
RE:
Traffic Safety Grants
Traffic safety grant applications totaling $110,569.00 were submitted to the Cortland County Traffic Safety Board last week for approval. Upon review of the applications, the Board unanimously voted to forward the grant applications to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee for approval to fund a variety of traffic safety projects throughout the County.
BUNY (Buckle Up New York) grants totaling $9,041.00 were submitted from the Cortland City Police, McGraw Police Department and NYS University Police at Cortland. BUNY grants are a statewide high visibility enforcement and public information and education campaign designed to save lives and reduce the severity of injuries by increasing seatbelt use.
STEP (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program) Grants totaling $23,346.00 were submitted from the Cortland City Police, Cortland County Sheriff’s Department and NYS University Police at Cortland. These grants are law enforcement projects that target speeding, aggressive driving, distracted drivers (i.e. cell phone use), pedestrian safety, motorcycle safety, “Operation Safe Stop” (school bus safety), and statewide Initiative Projects.
The Cortland County Health Department, Cortland County Sheriff’s Department and the Family Health Network of Central New York have applied for $18,350.00 for Child Passenger Safety Grants. Child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% when used correctly, however misuse reduces effectiveness of more than 90% of child safety seats. The 3 agencies will address this issue. Cortland County Traffic Safety Chairman, Angie Wyatt would like to see the Cortland Regional Medical Center participate with the child safety seat programs when releasing newborn infants and older children from the hospital.
The Cortland County Health Department applied for a “Basic Traffic Safety & Injury Prevention” grant in the amount of $20,354.00 to provide low cost car safety seats with education in proper use and installation. They will further provide reflective gear to the bicycling and pedestrian community as well as pedestrian education to decrease the number of preventable injuries in our County.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County applied for a grant entitled “Keep Your Head” totaling $24,092.00. This grant will focus on bicycle and wheeled sport safety education with an emphasis on the use of bicycle helmets. Children 13 years and younger are required by NYS Law to wear bicycle helmets when riding a bike. All Cortland County schools and parks benefit from the bicycle safety and helmet use education that Cornell Cooperative Extension provides. This grant also provides for helmet distribution to Cortland County residents at no cost. The helmets will be distributed at community events, bicycle rodeos, the Fall Family Bike Ride held at Dwyer Park and by appointment throughout the year.
A special grant entitled “Special Pedestrian Safety in the Neighborhood of Route 13 (Tompkins Street) and Starr Road” totaling $15,413.00 was submitted by the Cortland County Health Department in conjunction with the Cortland County Sheriff’s Department. As a result of several pedestrian, vehicle, bicycle and motorcycle fatalities in the past 5 years in the area of Route 13 (Tompkins Street) and Starr and McLean Roads, the Tompkins Street Traffic Safety Project Team was formed and Chaired by NYS Police Captain Larry Jackmin. The team consisted of Captain Jackmin and other members of the NYS Police; Cortlandville Supervisor, Richard Tupper; Sheriff Lee Price and other members of the Sheriff’s Department; Luann King, Aide to NYS Senator James Seward; Cortland City School District Transportation Director, Shelia Williams; Cortland County Traffic Safety Board Chairman, Angie Wyatt and Vice Chairman, Eric Mulvihill; Rebecca Smith, Cortland County Health Department Health Education Director and regional staff from the NYS Department of Transportation. After several meetings the Tompkins Street Traffic Safety Project Team released a final report in May of 2006. The final report is available for review by contracting the Cortland County Traffic Safety Board Chairman, Angie Wyatt at (607)758-5510. As a result of the report findings, more signage was added, the law enforcement increased, improved lighting was installed and increased public education was implemented. With this grant the Cortland County Health Department will increase awareness of safe pedestrian and bike safety where there are no sidewalks. They will distribute educational materials to each home in the immediate vicinity of the intersection, publish articles in local newspapers and complete radio interviews on safe crossing in this neighborhood. They will also provide presentations and education on safe walking to children at the nearby grade school. The Cortland County Sheriff’s Department will be dedicating patrol time to target vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian violations that contribute to the identified problem.
The next meeting of the Cortland County Traffic Safety Board will be held on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 1:30p.m. in Room 304 of the County Office Building. The agenda will include discussion of Bond Road, reducing the speed limit on Telephone Road at Knickerbocker Golf Club and applying for a multi-municipal grant to purchase new highway/law enforcement/fire police vests which are now required by the federal government.
For questions regarding the grants or the next Cortland County Traffic Safety Board meeting please contact the agencies listed or the Cortland County Traffic Safety Board at (607)758-5510.