The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced more than a million dollars in road safety funding for two tribal nations in northern Arizona.
The Hualapai Tribe will receive $160,000; the Navajo Division of Transportation will get $1.4 million. The funds will be used to develop action plans for designated communities to identify safety improvements, prevent future roadway fatalities and injuries as well as educate community members on safety principles.
More than three-quarters of roads on the Navajo Nation are a mix of dirt, sand and clay. Officials say these unpaved roads pose a risk for both drivers and pedestrians. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System found 50 fatal injuries occurred from motor vehicle traffic crashes in six of these communities on the Navajo Nation between 2017 and 2021.
The funds come from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.