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ODOT Safety Project paying for pedestrian crosswalks, other road projects

A state project previously required local governments to match 10% of any safety project. Now, with the Ohio gas tax, ODOT pays for them.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — If you drive around Bowling Green, you've probably noticed the pedestrian crosswalks added on Wooster Street. Thanks to new state funding, those could start to become more common

"It could be anything from new signals, turn lanes, roundabouts, ramps, pedestrian improvements, you name it! If it has to do with traffic we will consider funding it," district traffic engineer with ODOT Chris Waterfield said. 

The Local Government Transportation Safety Project previously required local governments to match 10% of any safety project, like the BG pedestrian crosswalks. But now thanks to the Ohio gas tax, all those projects can be completely paid for by ODOT. 

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Statistics from ODOT show 63% of all fatal and serious injury accidents happen on local roads. 

"They can study any road, any intersection, typical requests are anywhere up to half a million up to ten million dollars. But we're really trying to be aggressive and go after problems on the local road system" Waterfield said.

Applications for this funding are due in April and September. In 2019 there were five fatal pedestrian crashes in Toledo. 

City officials say Toledo will take advantage of this program and is evaluating where safety improvements are needed the most.

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