THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 7, 1995 TAG: 9512060130
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Three localities have been awarded federal grants designed to make highways safer.
The city of Suffolk, the town of Franklin and Isle of Wight County will share part of nearly $1.4 million awarded this year to Virginia localities by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.
Each year, funds are channeled from the federal government through the Virginia Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Motor Vehicles. The agencies review requests for funds to address particular transportation safety issues.
``After the review process, DMV approves requests that have the greatest potential for reducing the loss of life, injury and property damage due to highway crashes in Virginia,'' said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb.
Virginia Transportation Secretary Robert E. Martinez said the grants ``represent a significant part of our commitment to making safety a cornerstone of the Commonwealth's transportation system.''
The localities will use the grant money to address occupant protection education, alcohol awareness, pedestrian safety, motorcycle safety and other transportation safety issues, Martinez said.
Suffolk will receive two grants: $10,000 for police traffic services and $12,500 for roadway safety.
They will be used for selective enforcement details, providing money to pay off-duty officers to work overtime to catch motorists exceeding the speed limit, said Mary Ann Rayment, spokesperson for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Suffolk also will use part of the funds to study ways to improve pedestrian safety along Main Street from Constance Road to the U.S. Route 58 Bypass, she said. Another portion of the grant money will be used to fund the city's crash investigation team, she said.
Franklin also will receive two grants: $10,000 for DUI enforcement and $2,500 for traffic records.
The first grant will be used to put cameras in some police cars and to allow the department to do some selective enforcement to try to stop motorists who are driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
The second one will be used for computer programs to keep track of records.
``We want to make things safer for people out there on our streets,'' said Police Chief Robert K. Eubanks.
In the past, the department has received several small grants but it had never applied for the larger amounts, he said.
Isle of Wight County will receive a $5,000 grant for police traffic services.
``Essentially, what ours will be used for is for speed enforcement on major highways,'' said Major D.C. Cobb, chief deputy. ``We will be paying off-duty deputy sheriffs overtime to work speed enforcement in an effort to reduce traffic crashes.''
The traffic details will concentrate on the five major roads in Isle of Wight: U.S. routes 17, 58, 258 and 460 and Virginia Route 10.
The county has relied on the highway safety grants in the past, Cobb said. With a limited budget, the department would be unable to provide such coverage without the federal funds, he said. by CNB