LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As our population continues to grow here in the Natural State, it means that there will be more people on the roads.
To provide drivers with efficient and safe commutes throughout the area, local Central Arkansas nonprofit Metroplan received a sizeable grant to make sure the goal becomes reality.
"We're really excited to be able to announce a $900,000 grant to Central Arkansas, this is part of our Safe Streets and Roads for All Initiative," said Casey Convington who serves as Metroplan's Executive Director.
The award comes from regional collaboration with several other entities, including: Metropolitan Emergency Medical Systems, Arkansas Department of Transportation, Faulkner County Government, and Pulaski County Government for the Safe Streets and Roads For All Program.
This funding is fueling what Metroplan is referring to as the 40 by 40 plan -- the goal is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in Central Arkansas by 40% by 2040.
"There's about 100 fatalities in Central Arkansas annually that occur on our roadways and part of that planning effort was to look at where those [fatalities] were occurring," Convington said.
According to Convington, Metroplan will focus on three different types of projects -- the first being a collaboration with MEMS.
"Working with [MEMS] to utilize an alert technology so that as people are driving and there's a MEMS vehicle, they will receive an alert in their car or on their phone saying that there's an emergency vehicle in the area to be careful," Convington said.
It's a resource that MEMS workers like Aaron Gilkey, who serves as their Media and Relations Coordinator, believes will be a game changer not only for drivers, but also for their workers.
"Our crews are always on the side of the road working accidents ... We're just as vulnerable as anybody else out there," Gilkey said. "If we're able to help combat the issue of distracted drivers that is always nice."
So that begs the question: If you're a driver in Arkansas, how exactly would all these alerts work?
"Whenever our [MEMS] ambulance is coming down the road, if it's in movement and the lights are activated, you'll get that alert that we're in the vicinity," Gilkey said. "If we're on the side of the road and we're stopped for about 30 seconds or so, it'll automatically create an event and notify drivers that are coming up and approaching us."
There are two other projects in the works: one that's focused on providing safer traffic signals along Highway 65 and another that's focused on pedestrian safety along southwest trail.
"Our second project type is in Faulkner County along Highway 65 and highway 64 and this is an alert system," Convington said. "As people are coming up on traffic signals [it will] alert when that light is likely to turn yellow and red. [Our] third project that we're looking at is on the southwest trail in Pulaski County where the trail is crossing several major roadways."
As part of the improvements, there are demonstration activities that will include enhancements at high-speed signalized intersections, EMS vehicle safety alert technology, and piloting high visibility crossing for the regional trail system with proven safety countermeasures.
Metroplan said they will start some of these projects over the next several years and they will be sure to collect data both before and after to see if their plans were successful.