YORKTON - Several area communities, including Yorkton, are among the initiatives benefiting communities from the latest round of grants from Saskatchewan's Provincial Traffic Safety Fund.
Overall 65 projects in 62 Saskatchewan communities were approved for Provincial Traffic Safety Fund Grants. Communities will receive grants ranging from $1,396 to $100,000 for a total of $1,033,132.
The City of Yorkton received $17,167 for the 2023 installation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) Pedestrian Crosswalk Systems.
Other area projects funded included; Stockholm $22,001 for crosswalks, RM of Saltcoats $8,248 for grid road digital speed signs, Ituna $1,396 for intersection projects, and Bredenbury $7,676 for solar panel light up speed signs,
Provincially, funding will help install signage at intersections and school zones and improve pedestrian safety in rural, urban and Indigenous communities across the province.
"I'd like to thank all communities for submitting applications, and for their commitment to safety in our province," Minister Responsible for SGI Don Morgan said in a release. "I'm pleased we're able to support an additional 65 projects to increase traffic and pedestrian safety across Saskatchewan."
Provincial Traffic Safety Fund Grants are awarded to communities twice a year, using proceeds from Photo Speed Enforcement.
A total of 557 community traffic safety projects have been funded, totaling more than $7.2 million, since the Provincial Traffic Safety Fund was established in 2019.
Eligible traffic safety initiatives must focus on one of the following priority areas: speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, occupant protection or intersection safety.
Applications are reviewed by a committee made up of representatives from the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Highways and SGI.
The Provincial Traffic Safety Fund Grant Program is currently accepting applications for the next round of funding. The deadline for the next round of applications is March 31, 2023. For more information, visit SGI's website: https://www.sgi.sk.ca/community-grants-programs.
