Province Green Lights New Round Of Funding For Safer Roads

The province is putting more money into safer roads through a second year of Vision Zero grants.

"Safe and equitable road access for all road users is critical to the well-being of people in rural, remote and Indigenous communities," said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

"That's why the Vision Zero in Road Safety Grant program is so important. By supporting local road-safety improvements, we can help prevent injuries and save lives, while making active transportation more accessible in our communities and preventing burden on the health-care system."

More than $1 million in grants has been distributed to 59 B.C. communities this year. Projects include improved crosswalk infrastructure, traffic calming, speed-limit reduction pilot projects, speed-reader boards, improved lighting, road-safety planning and more.

Organizations receive as much as $20,000 per project.

The funding is provided through regional health authorities to local governments, Indigenous communities and governments and non-governmental organizations, such as school districts and road safety advocacy groups, to support them to plan and implement projects that will directly improve the safety of the roads in their communities.

A dedicated stream of the program is for Indigenous communities and governments to set and direct their own road-safety priorities.

Vision Zero is an international best practice in road safety. By adopting Vision Zero, the Province says it is committed to action to decrease deaths and serious injuries on B.C. roads. 

Road injuries and deaths are a significant cause of health-care system usage and impact patient and health-system capacity, while resulting in more than $300 million in direct health-care costs each year.

To see the full release, visit Government of British Columbia.