11-Exhibit 1 - DSAT Grant Application Narrative.pdf

FY 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Implementation Application City of Detroit, Detroit Safe Access to Transit

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key Information Table ............................................................................................. iii

1. Overview

2. Project Location

3. Response to Selection Criteria

3.1 Safety Impacts

3.2 Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration

3.3 Effective Practices and Strategies

3.4 Other DOT Strategic Goals

3.4.1 Climate and Sustainability

3.4.2 Economic Competitiveness

3.4.3 Workforce

3.5 Supplemental Planning and Demonstration Activities

4. Project Readiness

4.1 Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet

4.2 Budget

A Appendix ......................................................................................................... A

A.1 Project / Jurisdiction Map .................................................................................. A.1 A.2 Safe Access to Transit Proposed Project Locations ........................................... A.2 A.3 Supplemental Budget ......................................................................................... A.3 A.4 Project Schedule ................................................................................................. A.4

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KEY INFORMATION TABLE

Lead Applicant City of Detroit

Lead Applicant UEI GS94M2VMNMJ3

Eligible Entity Type Local Government

Additional Applicants As Part Of A Multijurisdictional Group Of Eligible Entities

Total Jurisdiction Population 639,111 (2020 Census)

Total Jurisdiction Population Tracts 274

Census Tracts Of Any Pilot Or Demonstration Projects (see Valid Eval submittal)

Jurisdiction Count Of Motor- Vehicle-Involved Roadway Fatalities (Last 5 Years)

670 (Michigan State Police, 2017-2021)

Jurisdiction Fatality Rate 20.97 / 100,000 people

Census Tract(S) (see Valid Eval submittal)

Project Location City of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan

Percent Of Population In Underserved Communities

92.36%

Project Area Fatalities (2017-2021) 33

Project Area Series Injuries (2017- 2021) 192

Project Title Detroit Safe Access to Transit

Project Goals

Implement safety improvements for transit riders to access transit transfers between routes and stops with physical improvements and bus driver training in a demonstration project.

Applicant Roadway Safety Responsibility

Ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities over a roadway network; Safety responsibilities that affect roadways; Have an agreement from the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction

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Primary Project Purpose Infrastructure Projects and Strategies

Roadway Users The Project Will Significantly Benefit

Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Micromobility Users, (e.g., scooters, etc.), Transit Users, Automobiles, Transit Operators

Major/Minor Construction Minor Construction Projects

Demonstration Activities Pilot Program to demonstrate the benefits of enhanced bus/public driver safety trainings

Will This Project Accept Funding For Only Demonstration Activities And/Or Supplemental Planning?

Yes

Total Federal Funding Request $24.8 million

Total Local Share/Match $6.2 million

Total Project Cost $31 million

Total Federal Funds Allocated To Underserved Communities $23,081,800

Supplemental Planning Activities

(A) Federal Funding Request $1,600,000

Supplemental Planning Activities

(A) Total Project Costs $2,000,000

Planning, Design, And Development Activities For Projects/Strategies

(B) Federal Funding Request

$1,600,000

Planning, Design, And Development Activities For Projects/Strategies

(B) Total Project Costs

$2,000,000

Carrying Out Projects And Strategies (C) Federal Funding Request

$21,600,000

Carrying Out Projects And Strategies (C) Total Project Costs $27,000,000

Existing Comprehensive Safety Action Plan Approved Sept 2022 https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2022-09/Detroit%20CSAP.pdf

July 3, 2023

The Honorable Pete M. Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, District of Columbia 20590

Dear Secretary Buttigieg, In 2020, 150 people died in traffic crashes on streets within the City of Detroit, Michigan. This is the second highest traffic fatality rate per capita of any U.S. city with over 500,000 people. While many cities across the country saw significant increases in the fatality rate during the pandemic, few saw increases as startling as Detroit: from 2017 to 2020 the traffic fatality rate in Detroit increased by 88%. This growth rate is the third steepest of any major city in the U.S over that time.

It is with urgency that on behalf of the Mayor’s Office, I write in support of the City of Detroit’s 2023 application to receive $25 million in federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) implementation, supplemental planning, and demonstration funding to address severe crashes that impact transit riders through the Detroit Safe Access to Transit (DSAT) project.

The City’s $25 million SS4A application represents a tailored, pinpointed safety program that advances Detroit’s Safer Streets for Detroiters (SS4D) program and DDOT Reimagined to accelerate the City’s current efforts to reduce and eliminate severe crashes by 2050 and provide the high-quality transit service the Detroiters want and deserve. The proposed DSAT project is comprised of efforts to make first- and last-mile connections to transit safer and more accessible by implementing proven safety countermeasures at bus stops, by providing safe driver training to bus operators, and by updating Detroit’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and non-motorized plan. Over 50 intersections have been identified for improvement with more than five fatal or serious injury crashes and/or five crashes involving people walking or bicycling over the past five years.

DSAT will also include funding to equitably engage Detroiters and transit riders to ensure the proposed improvements meet residents’ expectations and support neighborhood goals. The project will also include robust evaluation of proposed activities to ensure they are effective toward addressing Detroit’s traffic safety issues.

Together, this project will have a significant and immediate impact. It will substantially reduce the risk of countless vulnerable roadway users being killed or injured at intersections in Detroit and it will help realize the region’s vision for improved transit. I give my full support to this application for 2023 SS4A funding for the Detroit Safe Access to Transit project.

Sincerely, Michael E. Duggan Mayor

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1. OVERVIEW

In 2022, Detroit adopted a Vision Zero goal as a prerequisite for a more equitable, thriving, and welcoming city and region. By providing safer, more accessible access to transit through partnership between the City of Detroit’s Department of Public Work (DPW), the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and Wayne County, Detroit can make significant strides in tackling the epidemic of severe crashes that is inhibiting access to economic opportunity and high quality of life in Detroit and beyond. Detroit Safe Access to Transit (the Project) is the distillation of this partnership.

Detroit is in the midst of a shocking uptick in severe crashes. In 2017, the City of Detroit’s traffic fatality rate per 100,000 people was 15.3, the third highest nationally among major cities.

In 2020, the traffic fatality rate increased by 88% to 28.71, far exceeding the national average increase. Detroit’s startling rise in traffic deaths occurs in a city where 92.36% of people live in areas designated as underserved communities by USDOT and 32% of people live below the federal poverty level, the largest share in any major US city. To meet the national challenge and respond to Detroiters’ appeal for safer streets, the City of Detroit initiated its Safe Streets for Detroit (SS4D) program. The 2022 award from USDOT kickstarted the City’s implementation of strategies and projects identified in the 2022 Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP). The City of Detroit is requesting funds from the FY2023 SS4A program to continue this important work as a national leader in addressing traffic violence.

Detroit’s FY2023 Safe Streets for All (SS4A) funding request will initiate Phase II of the SS4D program to provide safe access to transit for all Detroiters. In September 2019, DDOT completed an assessment of transit facilities and amenities in its service area to provide preliminary guidance on investments in customer-facing amenities that will support and promote the city’s transit services. Through the Transit Capital Upgrade Preview (TCUP), the city envisioned an enhanced intersection improvement program based on crash history and opportunities for improvement, to provide transit riders with safe access to key stops and transfer points across the city. TCUP focused on the safety needs of people walking and biking to facilitate connections to transit at DDOT’s busiest transfers, located on Detroit’s most dangerous arterial streets.

In 2022, DDOT launched “DDOT Reimagined”, a plan to optimize the fixed route bus network, improve operations, and create new mobility options. DDOT Reimagined seeks to improve public transit for Detroiters by providing more reliable, frequent, and regional service connecting to other transportation providers serving Detroit. Through the process of DDOT Reimagined, safe, accessible connections to transit have continued to be a high priority for riders and DDOT. The Project will facilitate the rollout of capital upgrades envisioned in DDOT Reimagined.

While the first phase of the SS4D program focused on High Injury Network (HIN) corridors within the City’s jurisdiction, the Safe Access to Transit project is predicated on a partnership between DPW, DDOT, MDOT, and Wayne County to have the maximum impact on safety for all Detroiters and transit riders regardless of road jurisdiction (See attached Letters of Support). Through the Project, Detroit will:

Create safe and accessible intersections and environments for riders to transfer between different routes and active/shared modes serving “Connection Corners” identified in DDOT Reimagined and high crash intersections that have bus transfers.

Systemically deploy proven safety countermeasures at the bus stops in Detroit that have the highest number of severe crashes and/or pedestrian and bicyclist crashes.

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2023-06/DDOTReimagined_Stakeholders_6.14.23_.pdf

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Figure 1: Safe Access to Transit Overview

Improve ADA compliance at and around DDOT bus stops and provide increased space for additional amenities, furnishings, and mobility hubs.

Model a culture of safety through piloting training for DDOT bus operators and staff that encourage safe operations around people walking and biking.

Plan for future improvements to promote safe connections between modes and grow affordable, sustainable mobility options for Detroiters with additional planning efforts focused on the CSAP and non-motorized vehicle members of the community.

DPW and DDOT, in partnership with MDOT and Wayne County, are seeking $24.8 million in Implementation, Demonstration, and Supplemental Planning funds from the FY2023 SS4A grant program as outlined in Figure 1. This represents a total federal share of less than 80% of the full project cost estimate of $31 million.

The Project represents a multi-level, significant investment in reducing disparities in Detroit and Southeast Michigan. The Project centers the Detroiters in most need with safe transfers and connections to transit, safe public drivers, as well as planning activities that will enable the growth of safe, sustainable, and interconnected mobility options. The Project presents an impactful investment in increasing equity: 97.5% of the requested Implementation funds would be invested in USDOT-defined underserved community based on the Equitable Transportation Community Explorer (ETCE). Based on a 2019 on-board survey, the median DDOT rider identified as Black, walked to and from transit to access employment, and earned under $10,000 a year. SS4A award will dramatically benefit undeserved DDOT riders and will grow partnerships and implement a hallmark of DDOT Reimagined.

Detroit intends to be a model to other communities throughout Michigan and across the country, building partnerships and working together with internal and external stakeholders to solve high-need transit and safety challenges to create safer transit and pedestrian environments, equitably improve and enhance transit amenities, and minimize crashes and fatalities occurring at intersections along busy transit routes.

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Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts Note: does not include freeway crashes

2. PROJECT LOCATION

The City of Detroit (Detroit) is the largest city in the State of Michigan with a current population of 639,111. Detroit, the county seat for Wayne County, is the primary city of the Southeast Michigan metropolitan region, which is home to approximately 4.3 million people. Detroit’s street network was built for a city of nearly two million, almost three times the current population. Detroit has been hard hit by redlining, employment discrimination, deindustrialization, white flight, and, more recently, the housing market turmoil. Currently, 92.35% percent of Detroit’s residents live in areas designated as underserved in the Jurisdiction and Project Area (USDOT ETCE), and 32% of people live below the federal poverty level. Over 97% of the proposed Implementation project would be invested in these underserved areas. A project map is located in Appendix A.1.

All but one corridor on Detroit's HIN are within or pass through underserved communities. The HIN comprises only 3% of the total centerline miles within Detroit but accounts for 34% of fatal and serious injury crashes between 2017 and 2021. 28 of the 56 intersections proposed for the Implementation project are on the HIN, which represents half of the current proposed locations.

The City of Detroit has been identified as a priority community within the federal Thriving Communities Network.

3. RESPONSE TO SELECTION CRITERIA

3.1 Safety Impacts

Detroit’s Safety Problem and Historical Trends Detroit's 2022 CSAP found that, on average, 108 people were killed and an additional 495 people were severely injured in non-freeway traffic crashes annually in Detroit between 2017 and 2021.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, severe crashes have leapt well above 500 per year.

Preliminary crash data from 2022 confirm that severe crash trends continue to head in the wrong direction: according to the Michigan State Police database, 573 severe crashes occurred in 2022 with 680 people seriously injured or killed. Figure 2 below summarizes the data from 2014 to 2021 with the five-year rolling average shown in orange.

Figure 2: City of Detroit, Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes, 2014-2021 https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2023-04/FY22%20TCP_Selected%20Community%20Profiles.pdf

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Detroit’s severe crashes have grown significantly since 2014, moving the city even further above its peers in traffic fatalities per capita. In 2020, Detroit ranked second among cities with populations greater than 500,000 people with a traffic fatality rate of 28.71 per 100,000 residents.

From 2017 to 2020, Detroit saw an increase of 88% in its per capita fatality rate, the third steepest increase among major cities for the same period.

Through the Project and the City’s SS4D program, our goal is to create a paradigm shift using the Safe System Approach. We intend to achieve this by making strategic investments, fostering collaboration among safety stakeholders, prioritizing the initiatives in the Project. DPW, DDOT, MDOT, and Wayne County recognize that ensuring safe streets is crucial to improve mobility, quality of life, public health, and economic inclusion. Understanding the urgency of bending the curve on safety and the potential to create greater mobility options, we have united to address safe connections to transit.

Table 1: Traffic Crash Fatality Rate, Cities above 500,000 - 2017 and 2020 Source: NHTSA Pedestrian Fact Sheet, 2017 & 2020

Proactively Addressing High Risk Crashes using Detroit’s Severe Crash Types The Project proposes systemic improvements that address crash types with elevated levels of severity at locations they are likely to occur and have occurred: intersections. Over 55% of KA crashes between 2017 and 2021 occurred at intersections. Analysis conducted for Detroit’s CSAP indicated that single vehicle (inclusive of fixed object, pedestrian, and bicycle crashes) and angle crashes accounted for 61% of all fatal and serious injury crashes in Detroit between 2017 and 2021.

High conflict locations where there are significant pedestrian generators – namely, bus stops – present a high severe crash risk. Accordingly, the Project would improve crossings and compliance with signals at high crash intersections with DDOT bus stops.

Improving safety for vulnerable users, with a particular focus on pedestrians, is a defining feature of all improvements proposed through the Project. Crashes involving pedestrians result in much more severe outcomes than typical vehicle crashes in Detroit. Despite representing only 2% of all crashes in the city, pedestrian-involved crashes accounted for 20% percent of all fatal and serious injury crashes.

Through partnership with MDOT and Wayne County, the Project will expand the scope of Detroit’s SS4D program to address intersections that are jurisdiction of this partnership. These intersections are highly overrepresented in the HIN and in overall severe crash risk. By focusing

Page | 5 on intersections with high risk of pedestrian exposure and documented crash histories, we can make significant strides in achieving shared safety goals.

Targeting High Crash Intersections Implementation funds requested through Project will improve safety and stop accessibility at 56 intersections across the City of Detroit served by DDOT bus service. These 56 locations represent City, County, and State jurisdiction intersections with more than five fatalities or serious injuries and/or five crashes involving people walking and biking between 2018 and 2022 served by DDOT bus routes, omitting locations already covered in Detroit’s 2022 SS4A application.

Detroit’s implementation request consists of two pieces, Safer Transfers and Safer Bus Stops.

Safer Transfers: high-priority, high crash signalized intersections that align with

TCUP/DDOT Reimagined “Connection Corners” and other transfers between routes would receive safety improvements and modifications within the public right-of-way that enable the future installation of shelters, information kiosks, furnishings, and shared mobility docks. Typical scopes include but are not limited to bus bulbs/transit islands; limited sidewalk widening and sidewalk panel replacement near the stop area; ADA curb ramp updates; intersection lighting; signal timing improvements and modernization including accessible pedestrian signals (APS), leading pedestrian intervals (LPI), updated signal controllers; pavement markings like high visibility crosswalks; and hardened centerlines. It is anticipated that each location would receive slightly different improvements, depending on crash data, stop configuration, and land use context.

Safer Bus Stops: high crash signalized and unsignalized intersections where there are no transfers between routes would receive safety improvements. Typical scopes include but are not limited to curb extensions; refuge islands; sidewalk panel replacement and ADA curb ramp updates; intersection lighting; APS and LPI; pavement markings like high visibility crosswalks; and hardened centerlines. It is anticipated that each location would receive slightly different improvements, with meaningful differences between signalized and unsignalized locations.

Half, or twenty-eight, of the 56 intersections are located on the HIN. City jurisdiction locations included in Safe Access to Transit were not included in Detroit’s 2022 SS4A award, while all locations under the jurisdiction of MDOT, Wayne County, or both were gapped. Therefore, there is no overlap between Detroit’s 2022 SS4A award and the Project.

Safe Access to Transit Impact Assessment Altogether, 158 serious injury and fatal crashes killing 33 people and incapacitating 192 more occurred at the 56 intersections proposed for improvement between 2017 and 2021.

The safety countermeasures proposed for the Implementation portion of the Project cover three of the five Safe System elements: Safe Users, Safe Speeds, and Safe Roads. Street design countermeasures were selected based on the severe crash types discussed above and filtered to meet the urban context of Detroit. Additionally, many of the engineering countermeasures have been proven to significantly reduce crashes with quantified Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) with proven track record both nationally and in Detroit as illustrated in Table 2.

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Table 2: Safe Access to Transit Proven Safety Countermeasures

Source: CMF Clearinghouse Note: * FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasure

While CMFs have not been developed for certain additional elements, like hardened centerline treatments, findings from initial peer studies in Seattle, Chicago, and New York City are promising. In Seattle, preliminary evaluations found that hardened centerline treatments reduced centerline touches and vehicle turning speeds.

Implementation Costs Safe Access to Transit Implementation costs are broken out in Table 3. Of the $29,000,000 total, $28,275,000 (97.5% of the SS4A Implementation request) would be invested in census tracts categorized as an underserved community by USDOT.

Table 3: Safe Access to Transit Implementation Costs

Note: Costs include Construction, Design, Engagement, Evaluation, Construction Engineering and Inspection, and Maintenance

3.2 Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration

Detroiters, 89% of whom are non-white or Hispanic/Latino, are disproportionately impacted by traffic violence in addition to environmental injustices, housing instability, transportation inequity, https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures

Page | 7 and low access to quality jobs. As part of these efforts, the Project would prioritize safety investments in underserved communities to counteract these disparities. Through the Project, the City will work with all Detroiters to ensure the voices of those impacted by severe traffic crashes are heard and leverage their expertise to guide investments that most benefit their lives. As indicated, the collaboration will start with the key stakeholders throughout the city, county, and state working together to ensure that the voices of Detroiters are heard.

Co-benefits for Transportation Equity Limitations inherent to Michigan’s crash data do not enable analysis on the background or identity of those involved in severe crashes in Detroit.

Broader analyses, however, illustrate the disproportionate impacts of severe crashes on people of color. A 2022 study found that, when accounting for miles traveled, fatality rates for Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans are systematically higher than for white Americans. For example, 33.71 Black Americans died per 100,000 person miles cycling, a rate more than 4 times the rate for white Americans.

Comparisons to the state and region shown in Table 4, suggest an association between traffic deaths based on race and income.

The City’s SS4A implementation projects will focus on transit to begin addressing disparities that include but extend beyond safety. The Project will benefit the one-third of Detroiters who do not own a car but rely on transit and other options to access health care, education, and work.

Inclusive Engagement

Development of Detroit’s CSAP was driven by community engagement, the interdisciplinary leadership of City staff representing multiple departments, coordination with regional stakeholders, and underpinned by policy review and data analysis to identify and prioritize strategies and countermeasures to tackle Detroit’s most pressing traffic safety needs. DPW conducted community engagement using multiple strategies to reach all Detroiters, particularly underserved populations, through traditional community meetings, hearings, and other formal channels.

Similar to community outreach activities utilized by DPW to develop the CSAP, DDOT also engaged Detroiters through DDOT Reimagined to develop service and operational changes as well as capital improvements like Safer Transfers and Safer Bus Stops. Starting in Spring and Summer of 2022, DDOT launched Phase I of its public engagement plan focusing on providing equitable opportunities including:

Listening sessions held during the first round of outreach to hear what is and is not working with DDOT, collect input for the Draft Plan, and spread awareness of DDOT Reimagined.

In-person meetings held in each City Council district, plus two virtual and two in-person citywide meetings.

Table 4: Detroit Inequities

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A dozen pop-out events were held at transit centers and key locations around the city.

Briefing meetings held with DDOT bus operators, key stakeholders, and City Council staff.

More than 800 surveys collected (paper and online).

Additional public outreach during Phase II for DDOT Reimagined which are occurring through Summer 2023 include:

Additional round of outreach to share the Draft Plan with the public, stakeholders, elected officials, and DDOT bus operators.

A DDOT outfitted bus with special exterior branding and interior space for Draft Plan posters and materials with the bus traveling to events around the city.

20 events including pop-ups, virtual and in-person meetings.

The SS4A grant is the city’s direct response to Detroiters’ strong and unequivocal message for providing safer streets and high-quality, safe, reliable, and sustainable transit service. An SS4A grant will ensure Detroit continues to emphasize stronger relationships with the community to improve safe access to transit and mitigate the potential unintended consequences to underserved and marginalized residents. Detroit’s renewed urgency at all levels of government to ensure future transit improvements, safe intersections, and equitable infrastructure in the city, benefits residents traditionally underserved.

The City’s goal is to create safer connections at transit corridors to ensure safer access to residential areas and businesses without needing to travel by private vehicles. Throughout the planning, design, and construction phases of the Project, the City will follow Detroit’s Community Outreach Ordinance and the policies in Streets for People (SFP) or CSAP and will tailor public engagement to the project scope of each project. Beyond project-level engagement, the Project will engage Detroiters in the evaluation of the overall scope and develop an understanding of impacts and what modifications that may be necessary for future years.

3.3 Effective Practices and Strategies

Advancing Detroit’s CSAP

The Implementation, Demonstration, and Supplemental Planning strategies proposed through the Project align with the concrete steps towards achieving the goal to eliminate serious injuries set forth by Detroit’s Steering and Implementation Committee in the CSAP.

Implementing the Detroit Street Design Guide

In 2021 the City adopted the Detroit Street Design Guide (DSDG), through which the City commits to designing streets using a Complete Streets and Safe System approach, establishes a pedestrian-first design process rooted in Proposed Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), prioritizes safety over convenience, focuses on reducing and managing speeds, and aims to maximize separation and minimize conflicts between users.

The design approach and policies laid out in the DSDG dovetail with the goals of SS4A and the Project to reduce severe crashes, particularly angle and pedestrian crashes. Since adopting the DSDG, the City has designed three streetscape projects that will be constructed by 2023, and three additional streetscape projects are currently being designed using the DSDG. Furthermore, the DSDG, paired with a new project development checklist, has been used to inform safety-focused, Complete Streets designs on a dozen completed projects ranging from annual street resurfacing and restriping projects to streetscapes.

https://detroitmi.gov/document/street-design-guide

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The DSDG is a focal point for the Project and for the City’s partnerships with MDOT and Wayne County. The City is using the DSDG to support safe street designs on four active MDOT projects (Michigan Ave [US-12] reconstruction, I-375 Reconnecting Communities project, Gratiot Ave [M-3] safety improvements, and the Gratiot Ave Planning and Environmental Linkages study) and through the W. Warren Avenue Streetscape and Lahser/Redford safety project, joint endeavors between Wayne County and the City of Detroit.

Aligning Programs to Efficiently Achieve Multiple Shared Goals The Project aligns with the goals laid out in Detroit’s July 2022 Vision Zero resolution, Detroit’s 2022 Streets for People Transportation Master Plan (SFP), the vision of DDOT Reimagined - MDOT’s Toward Zero Deaths safety campaign, and Detroiter’s expectations for an accessible, convenient, and above-all, safe transportation system. By bringing partners to the table as co-applicants and supporters, the Project enables safety improvements in high crash and high-risk areas while mitigating delays and rework, maximizing funding and speeding up implementation.

Beyond the reductions in serious and fatal crashes document above, the Project will:

Improve multimodal networks – by improving the environment around transit stops, addressing barriers in walking networks, and funding planning for future collaborations between DPW, DDOT, MDOT, and Wayne County

Address the HIN – by implementing safety improvements at 28 locations on the HIN under the jurisdiction of MDOT and/or Wayne County

Align with PROWAG guidance – by addressing accessibility issues at and near bus stops, with a focus on intersection crossings, updating signals with APS

Facilitate bus operations and reliability – by relocating stops to where they are safer and result in fewer delays at signals and reducing time spent pulling into and out of stops

Take a “dig once” approach – by coordinating right-of-way improvements with DDOT staff installing stop amenities to create enhanced transit stops

3.4 Other DOT Strategic Goals

This program's focus on equity and safety also addresses climate and sustainability which addresses approaches reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). This project aims to improve access to

Table 5: Safe Access to Transit Strategic Alignment

Page | 10 reliable transportation and minimize the city’s carbon footprint by making the city accessible by various modes of active transportation.

3.4.1 Climate and Sustainability

This Project will contribute to the adoption of low- and no-carbon modes of transportation by increasing the safety and accessibility of walking and transit. This project will advance goals to create safer, more appealing alternatives to driving by supporting transit ridership and multi-modal trips by closing safety gaps in the existing sidewalk network and improve ADA compliant connections to DDOT stops on HIN and commercial corridors where DDOT and community members identify opportunities. With this focus, the Project will deliver on the 2022 Detroit Climate Action Strategy which establishes an approach to addressing racial equality, climate change, and to fulfill the requirements of the City’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory ordinance to reduce GHG from city operations by 35 percent by the year 2024 and 100 percent by the year 2050.

3.4.2 Economic Competitiveness

The transit corridors in the Project represent the most utilized intersections that provide access to bus transfers and centers of education and employment. This project will create safer connections at transit corridors that will provide safe access to critical community services and businesses without needing to travel by private vehicles. The improvements will enhance economic activity by creating seamless and reliable access to these vital services.

The 33 traffic fatalities and 192 serious injuries at the specific project area locations resulted in a loss of $578.58 million in lost economic productivity and lost wages over five years (based on 2022 USDOT VSL base year). The total costs of traffic violence in Detroit are significantly higher.

Deaths and serious injuries can significantly destabilize families for many years following a crash.

Detroit families experience a disproportionately high level of economic insecurity: 32% of people in Detroit are living below the poverty line and household median income is $34,762 (US Census Bureau Quick Facts). The loss of a primary earner, lost work time, high cost of a serious medical event, or funeral services can be enough to eliminate the household savings. These destabilizing events also result in the loss of stable and adequate housing, transportation, and employment.

These burdens fall heaviest on Detroiters in underserved communities.

3.4.3 Workforce

If awarded, the City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) will work with the Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC), the City’s designated workforce development arm, and the Civil Rights, Equity, and Inclusion Office (CRIO) to ensure that Detroiters benefit from increased investment. DESC currently implements its Skills for Life and Detroit At Work (DAW) programs to help place workers in the jobs that this program will produce and create life-long career skills in the process. DAW provides a holistic approach to workforce development in Detroit – particularly for those who are disconnected, underemployed or underserved – and to improve the talent available to Detroit-area employers. DESC, through DAW, will lead a cross-sectoral partnership anchored in existing networks, to ensure participants have the right training for the jobs available through SS4D. To execute this, they work with construction contractors and other employers, as well as community colleges and training institutions. DESC’s holistic approach incorporates wraparound services, which include but are not limited to, providing transportation services, childcare, and the soft skills necessary to gain and keep meaningful employment.

DPW and DESC will also work with CRIO to ensure that high-quality and good-paying job creation meets all free and fair choice union standards and will ensure that all state and federal prevailing wage standards are met. The City’s goal for this and all its programs is to ensure that Detroiters are represented on the job site and that Detroit-based companies succeed. CRIO’s https://detroitmi.gov/departments/general-services-department/office-sustainability/detroit-climate-strategy https://detroitmi.gov/departments/general-services-department/office-sustainability/detroit-climate-strategy https://www.transportation.gov/office-policy/transportation-policy/revised-departmental-guidance-on-valuation-of-a-statistical-life-in-economic-analysis

Page | 11 mission is to advocate for inclusion and increased opportunities to all who live, work, play or do business in Detroit.

3.5 Supplemental Planning and Demonstration Activities

Safe Professional Drivers Acknowledging that the responsibility for a culture of safety is shared, the City of Detroit has a duty to model safe driving behaviors to the general public. In addition to implementation efforts, the Project would include a bus operator and maintenance driver training demonstration program for new and current DDOT employees to ensure safe operations, particularly around people walking and biking.

Operator training would focus on safe driving practices, new Standard Operating Procedures, use of operational technology, and addressing chronic problem areas where most incidences are likely to occur. Like most North American transit systems DDOT is in the process of recruiting new bus operators to restore the workforce to levels necessary to ensure daily availability for current service delivery and to prepare for the introduction of increased transit service resulting from the DDOT Reimagined plan. In addition to training large incoming classes of bus operators and service staff, DDOT would provide refresher training for new operators and service staff at 6 months and again at 2 years. All other drivers would be given one comprehensive refresher training session to ensure that all safety practices are consistent and being followed by all operating staff.

The City and DDOT will monitor and evaluate the training program to determine how the curriculum could be adapted and expanded to all City drivers and potentially be made available to other fleet operators.

CSAP Update DPW proposes to include supplemental planning efforts to further the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and continue refining and developing strategies and projects to eliminate serious injury and fatal crashes in Detroit. This work will include extensive outreach to the community, stakeholder organizations including representatives for transit and non-motorized advocacy groups, and neighborhood organizations, as well as updates to the HIN, including the creation of modal HINs for people walking, biking, and riding in vehicles.

Non-Motorized Plan Update Building on SFP and the CSAP, Detroit is requesting Supplemental Planning funds to identify and prioritize project recommendations that address gaps in pedestrian and bikeway networks and create more robust, accessible, and safe connections to transit service. To advance an all ages and abilities bikeway network, Detroit would also conduct a Level of Traffic Stress analysis and develop more detailed goals and objectives to create complete networks for people walking, biking, using assistive devices, and riding scooters.

4. PROJECT READINESS

Expanding Partnerships to Achieve Vision Zero Partnering with DDOT, MDOT, and Wayne County offers DPW the opportunity to work with these partners to identify transfer intersections along selected transportation corridors. In 2020, MDOT and DPW completed the Grand River (M-5) Streetscape, implementing a comprehensive https://detroitmi.gov/departments/planning-and-development-department/neighborhood-plans/west-design-region/grand-river-northwest

Page | 12 neighborhood framework plan for northwest Detroit along the Grand River corridor, including near and long-term strategies for Housing & Retail Development, Streetscape, Parks & Green Stormwater Infrastructure. Near term implementation strategies were presented to the community April 26th, 2018, and will be carried out as a part of the City's Strategic Neighborhood Fund initiative.

Proven Track Record for Federal Safety Project Delivery The City has utilized federal HSIP and CMAQ funding and designed and implemented safety improvements on 116 miles of City streets and 122 intersections over the past 10 years. These projects share similar scopes with the SS4A program, addressing severe crash locations through safety countermeasures. Additionally, the City has delivered $80 million in Streetscape projects over five years to catalyze commercial recovery on strategic corridors. The City of Detroit has demonstrated its technical capacity to deliver proven countermeasures that benefit all users and is ready to accelerate its response to the roadway safety crisis through implementing its 2023 SS4A program of projects. Detroit intends to submit this SS4A project, and the 2023 projects identified in this grant application to the SEMCOG January 2024 call for projects as part of its annual Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) amendment process.

Proactively Preparing for Timely Implementation The City has taken steps to expedite the delivery of this project. Through SFP and the CSAP, the City has built the internal relationships, processes, and tools to jumpstart project development.

Through the plan itself, the Detroit Street Design Guide, and the accompanying Complete Streets Checklist, SFP has created a consensus approach to delivering projects rooted in Safe Systems.

With agreement on the efficacy of proven countermeasures featured in the CSAP and accompanying project prioritization criteria, DPW is ready to deliver proven treatments where they are most needed.

The scope of this program does not include right-of-way acquisition to expedite design and construction. Accordingly, the environmental and permitting processes are expected to be minimally significant in terms of schedule risk. To mitigate risk, the City will coordinate with the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) to the SS4A program of projects, specific scopes of work identified for the 2023 implementation grant, and the proven countermeasures that will comprise typical improvements through the SS4A program.

See Appendix A.4 – Project Schedule for further details on the proposed project schedule.

4.1 Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet

Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet

4.2 Budget

The City of Detroit’s 2023 SS4A Project will implement a variety of safety treatments at key intersections throughout the city. This includes 56 project locations where transit stops and intersections with a history of serious injury and bicycle/pedestrian crashes exists. Appendix A.1

– Project Map / Locations identifies the proposed improvement locations and their expected level of investment as summarized in Appendix A.2 - Safe Access to Transit Proposed Project Location. And Appendix A.3 – Supplemental Budget goes into more detail on the budget for the project as required in Table 4 of the SS4A Notice of Funding Opportunity.

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2021-12/SFP_DesignGuide_20210930%20%283%29.pdf https://detroitmi.gov/departments/department-public-works/complete-streets https://detroitmi.gov/departments/department-public-works/complete-streets https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2023-03/SS4A-Self-Certification-Eligibility-Worksheet-FY23.pdf

3.5 Supplemental Planning and Demonstration Activities