City, UTCRI awarded $1.06M U.S. Department of Transportation grant to
advance roadway safety
Funding will support data-driven analysis of high-risk corridors to reduce
crashes
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (January 8, 2026) – The City of Chattanooga and the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Research Institute (UTCRI) have been
awarded $1,063,393 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program to support a
new Roadway Safety Design Technology Platform.
The funding will support data-driven work that complements the city’s
existing Comprehensive Safety Action Plan by expanding how roadway safety
conditions are evaluated across Chattanooga, with technical leadership
provided by UTCRI’s Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP). By
combining intersection-level data with continuous roadway imagery along
high-risk corridors, the project will help the city look beyond individual
intersections and better understand safety conditions and emerging risks.
Earlier SS4A funding supported the development of the city’s Comprehensive
Safety Action plan and identification of high-risk corridors and
intersections, and this award advances the next phase of the city’s roadway
efforts.
“This work builds on the progress we’re making to improve roadway safety
and allows us to work with UTC to look at risk along entire corridors, not
just individual intersections,” said Melissa Taylor, Director of
Transportation Planning for the City of Chattanooga. “By adding
corridor-level data to the information we already have, we can identify
potential risks earlier and better determine the most appropriate physical
improvements to reduce serious injury and fatalities on our roadways. Our
goal is to promote public safety and provide a model other cities can use.”
The project will generate tools and insights that help connect research,
planning, and on-the-ground decision making, helping the city prioritize
safety investments and respond to emerging risks.
“At the UTC Research Institute, our role is to help communities turn
research into practical tools designed to guide better, more informed
decision-making by public agencies,” said Mina Sartipi, Interim Vice
Chancellor for Research at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “The
Roadway Safety Design Technology Platform will strengthen Chattanooga’s
ability to anticipate risk and plan proactively, while also demonstrating
how research partnerships help cities build safer streets in ways that are
scalable and transferable.”
The total estimated cost of the project is $1.34 million, and the remaining
match will be provided by non-federal partners. This award also builds on
prior collaboration between the city and UTCRI’s CUIP
<https://www.utc.edu/research/center-urban-informatics-and-progress>,
including a $2 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing
Transportation (SMART) grant
<https://blog.utc.edu/news/2024/03/chattanooga-sets-the-pace-for-connected-mobility-and-enhanced-safety-with-2m-usdot-smart-grant/>,
which supported the deployment of connected vehicle and intelligent
transportation technologies along the MLK Corridor and Health Corridor.
Additional information on the city’s ongoing roadway safety initiatives is
available through the City of Chattanooga’s Safer Street Hub.
<https://city-of-chattanooga-safer-streets-chcrpa.hub.arcgis.com/>