In Seattle, they’re building new sidewalks, speed cushions, protected bike lanes, and ADA accessible curb cutouts. In Philadelphia, they’re constructing pedestrian refuge islands and traffic signal modifications. In Louisville, they’re reconfiguring — or “rightsizing” — ten streets to reduce speeds and improve traffic safety.

All of this work is being funded in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, a $5 billion component of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

And more grants are available to cities now.

Traffic injuries and deaths are on the rise around the U.S., and more pedestrians were killed on the roads last year than any other year in the last four decades. The trend is a challenge to big cities, many of which have adopted Vision Zero policies aimed at eliminating traffic deaths.