City of Shawnee, Pottawatomie County, and University of Oklahoma Awarded $172,264 Grant for Safe Streets Action Plan

The City of Shawnee, in collaboration with Pottawatomie Go, and the University of Oklahoma (OU), has been awarded a $172,264 planning grant for the 2024-25 period. This grant, provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will be used to develop a comprehensive Safe Streets Action Plan aimed at enhancing the safety and infrastructure of Shawnee’s streets.

“This grant represents a significant step forward for Shawnee,” said Mark Simpson, Interim City Manager for the City of Shawnee. “It not only allows us to plan for safer streets, but also opens the door to additional funding opportunities for infrastructural improvements. We are excited to work with our partners at the University of Oklahoma and Pottawatomie Go to make Shawnee a safer place for all residents.”

The Safe Streets Action Plan will be facilitated by the University of Oklahoma’s Hudson College of Public Health, supported by the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, with extensive input from Shawnee residents. Several community meetings will be held to ensure that the plan reflects the needs and priorities of the local community.

“Community involvement is crucial to the success of this project,” said Halley Reeves, the faculty lead for the SS4A project at the University of Oklahoma. “We are committed to working closely with Shawnee residents to develop a plan that addresses their concerns and enhances their quality of life.”

“The collaboration among the City of Shawnee, Pottawatomie Go, and the University of Oklahoma exemplifies the power of partnership in achieving goals that no single entity could accomplish alone,” explained John Bobb-Semple of Pottowatomie Go.

“This grant is a testament to the strong relationship between our institutions and our shared commitment to improving public health and safety,” said Ladan Mozaffarian, Assistant Professor of Regional and City Planning at the University of Oklahoma. “We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on the Shawnee community.”

For more information about the grant and the Safe Streets Action Plan, please visit the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets 4 All webpage.