The City Council on May 18 authorized applying to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. Photo courtesy of NHTSA 

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – The City of Gridley is pursuing federal traffic safety funding for dangerous intersections, school congestion and railroad access concerns, but several council members questioned whether the city is spending too much time studying problems instead of fixing them.

The City Council on May 18 authorized applying to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, which could provide funding for traffic safety planning and related studies. City officials said the grant would require a 20 percent local match.

City Engineer Dave Harden, said a project in the $350,000 to $400,000 range would require a local match of $70,000 to $80,000, which he said could be met through staff time, consultant work and survey efforts rather than cash alone.

Harden said the grant would allow the city to gather the traffic data, crash analysis and public outreach needed to compete for future construction funding. The consultant-led work would focus on long-standing concerns, including the East Gridley Road and Fairview Drive intersection, traffic near Wilson School and emergency response access when trains block crossings.

“We have fire on one side and the hospital on one side of the tracks, and all our development coming in on the west side,” Harden said.

The proposal includes temporary demonstration projects such as short-term curb extensions, delineators, rumble strips or a temporary closure of Lincoln Avenue during Wilson School drop off. Harden said the goal is to test traffic calming ideas before committing to permanent construction.

Vice Mayor Bruce Johnson questioned why the city must continually hire consultants to validate problems residents and school staff have raised for years.

“Why can’t we just use common sense and say this is what we need to do,” Johnson said, warning that the city could spend years pursuing planning grants while dangerous conditions remain unchanged.

Council member J. Angel Calderon raised concerns about students walking along narrow highway shoulders and residents near Hollis Lane struggling to safely enter Highway 99 during peak traffic.

“Sometimes during the rush hour, people are just driving like crazy,” he said.

Harden said the grant would not prevent the city from making immediate safety fixes.

“This is not going to pay for the construction of anything,” he said. “This is strictly planning.” He added that project scopes can be adjusted if the city addresses a safety issue before the study is complete.

The council voted to move forward with the application before the federal deadline.