City of Sidney and Safe Streets and Roads for All Program Seeking Input from Community

The City of Sidney was recently awarded federal grant funds from the US Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program to complete an Action Plan focused on reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries and improving safety for all roadway users in the community of Sidney.

There will be multiple upcoming opportunities to engage with the City of Sidney's Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Action Plan. The public is strongly encouraged to stop by the SS4A booth during Oktoberfest on Friday through Sunday, October 4-6, in the Farmers Market Building. A pop-up event will also be held at Sidney High during the football game on Friday, October 4, 2024.

The Safe Streets Plan, funded by a $300,000 federal grant, focuses on improving transportation safety for all roadway users in the Sidney community, including walking, biking and rolling. The city has hired consultants MCS (M.C. Schaff and Associates) to create the plan. One of the most important aspects to this program being successful is the input from the community.

"Gathering feedback from the community is crucial for us to establish the plan," said MCS Project Engineer, David Schaff. "Data helps us to understand the collisions in our community, but it only tells a piece of the picture. We need input from the community."

The community is encouraged to get actively get involved and share their concerns, thoughts, and ideas to help shape the plan over the coming months. The project website has a commenting map where users can "drop pins" to plot locations of area that raise safety concerns and ideas, as well as to comment on or upvote the comments of others. Citizens can complete online surveys, submit comments via the online map, and also submit comments directly to project manager Susan Myers, (M.C. Schaff & Associates) as ways to provide feedback for the next three to four months. Says Meyers, "The success of Sidney's Safe Streets for All Project is highly dependent upon meaningful input from Sidney's community members and constituents. Our ultimate goal is to support the City of Sidney in crafting a plan (Sidney Safety Action Plan) that will support the safety and wellbeing of our citizens of all ages and travel modes, for generations to come. We sincerely thank each and every individual who offers input through our Open Forums and Survey opportunities."

It is important to note that all information gathered from the website will be anonymous, and no identifying information will be needed in order to participate or to contribute. "The online survey and commenting map are completely anonymous. All public input received will be included and considered, and lead to a more effective and sustainable plan, reflecting Sidney's priorities and realities."

The action plan focuses on enhancing connectivity, meeting user-specific safety requirements, implementing traffic calming measures, and improving accessibility and visibility in high-traffic areas, with a special focus being placed on tackling transportation safety issues in school zones. There will also be an emphasis on identifying designated school routes that prioritize biking and walking.

After developing the action plan, the City of Sidney can then apply for implementation grants provided by the Federal Highway Administration.

Schaff mentioned that the city can use those grants to implement real infrastructure improvements.

"In the meantime, educating the public and exercising caution can enhance safety on local streets, particularly in high-traffic zones like downtown areas, commercial districts, and around schools."

The public is encouraged to drop by to view exhibits and share feedback with the planning team. The police department and school district are also key stakeholders in developing the action plan. The pop-up events being held at upcoming athletic events and Oktoberfest are excellent places for the public to be provided with information about the planning process, share initial findings on data already collected, and gather public feedback on community transportation safety goals and priorities.

Public input will be gathered over the next 3 months, but will continue to be accepted until the draft plan is completed early next year, 2025.

Additional in-person opportunities for public input will be provided and announced in the coming weeks and months.

The public is encouraged to engage in the Action Plan online at anytime at https://bit.ly/SSAP-plan where users can complete a short survey, add comments to a map, and pledge commitment to streets that are safe, accessible, and shared by everyone in the community.

It's crucial to provide feedback on what Schaff and Myers refer to as "near misses"- areas and incidents that don't necessarily lead to accidents but indicate potential problems. The city's consulting team has collected extensive data on reported accidents and issues. However, without community input, it will be challenging to include "near misses" in the action plan.

Myers concluded the interview with, "Everyone in the community has a say in how the Safety Action Plan is developed.  Residents have firsthand knowledge of the most dangerous intersections, roads, and travel ways in Sidney.  Community feedback brings diverse perspectives and those firsthand experiences; it highlights unique challenges experienced by members throughout the community including pedestrians, cyclists, persons with disabilities; and this crucial input can lead to innovative, inclusive and practical solutions that might not be apparent to engineers and planners alone." 

Submit comments at any time to Susan Myers, via email at [email protected], or by calling 308-635- 1926.