ANDERSON — The Madison County Council of Governments recently started a process to create a comprehensive safety action plan for the Anderson Metropolitan Planning Area, which includes Fortville. The process, Protect 2030, will analyze crash trends, identify high-crash locations, gather public safety concerns and establish recommendations for reducing fatal and serious injury crashes.
As part of the process, a central hub for following plan development and participating in surveys and digital activities was launched. With the launch, the Protect 2030 Vision Survey is open for community members to share concerns and feedback on initial project direction. In addition to the survey, a mapping tool for reporting near-miss experiences and identifying unsafe locations for driving, walking and biking is available. Community members can submit locations, as well as vote and comment on locations that others have submitted.
Feedback and input gathered throughout the planning process will help inform the final recommendations established in the Protect 2030 plan document. Though the Protect 2030 hub will focus on collecting public input throughout the planning process, it will eventually transition to a tool for implementation and public access to track crash metrics. The safety action plan will establish the direction for a continuous transportation safety program, providing a single resource for:
• Prioritizing transportation funding,
• Integrating improvements into state and local projects,
• Strengthening communication channels, and
• Identifying outreach and awareness needs
Adoption of the final Protect 2030 plan will allow communities within the Madison County Council of Governments region to apply for funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All program, recently established through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program includes $1 billion in funding through June 2027 to address the national roadway safety crisis.
Protect 2030 is being led by a task force of 15 multi-disciplinary representatives from across the region. The group was convened to bring insight and a variety of perspectives to the process while working with the Madison County Council of Governments planning team. Task Force members meet regularly to advise on the plan’s substance and direction. Members represent at least one of seven key focus areas: education, engineering, enforcement, emergency response/management, traditionally underrepresented populations, non-motorized transportation users and freight transportation.
The Protect 2030 planning process began in April 2022 and is targeting plan adoption in December 2022, with implementation beginning immediately after adoption.
To find out more about the process, visit protect-2030-mccog.hub.arcgis.com or contact Ryan Phelps, principal transportation planner at [email protected] or 765-641-9427.
