GTSC awards $54M+ highway safety grants for 2026

ALBANY | The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) has announced that more than $54 million in federal highway safety grants have been awarded to support more than 500 traffic safety programs throughout New York State during the 2026 federal fiscal year. "This funding will enable us to continue supporting innovative and effective education and enforcement initiatives intended to save lives and keep New York's roadways safe for all users," said Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and GTSC Chair Mark J.F. Schroeder. "We and our traffic safety partners are proud to maintain the state's position as a national leader in highway safety initiatives and continue working toward our collective goal of zero deaths on our roads." This year, $54.3 million was awarded to 556 projects and programs including enforcement mobilizations, public education and information campaigns, child passenger safety programs and community awareness projects. These grants provide funding to local, state and not-for-profit agencies for the purpose of improving overall highway safety and reducing deaths and serious injuries due to crashes in New York. The funding, which is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is administered by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. Among the newest grants is one that is more than $180,000 to fund a partnership between the New York State Sheriffs' Association (NYSSA) and American Automobile Association (AAA) to coordinate education and outreach efforts in the areas of younger driver safety, older driver safety, and bicycle/pedestrian safety. These activities will include Teen Safety Summits in Utica and Garden City, bicycle rodeos and safe walking education for school-age children, and discussions with our older community about safe driving and preparing for "driving-retirement." Also, the Northeast Association for the Blind is receiving nearly $60,000 in funding for a program to provide and expand instruction for safe street crossing and using pedestrian signals for visually impaired pedestrians. GTSC has also awarded $1.3 million for child passenger safety. The grants will be used to help teach parents and caregivers how to properly install car seats, provide car seats to families who need them and to conduct free car seat checks by certified child passenger safety technicians in locations throughout the state. Car crashes remain one of the leading causes of death for children. NY SADD (formerly known as Students Against Drunk Driving) was awarded two grants, totaling $532,681. A $227,815 grant will support youth education on key risks like impairment and distraction, and a $304,866 grant will be used to expand its Speakers Bureau, which provides schools statewide with presenters who share their personal experience with a crash. Other grants will support public awareness campaigns statewide with a focus on the most at-risk communities and demographic groups such as males under the age of 30 who are more likely to speed, drive recklessly or not wear a seat belt. These campaigns leverage digital and out of home ads, TV, radio and other media to promote key safety messages related to speeding, impaired driving, motorcycle safety, seatbelt usage, and more. Grants are also provided to law enforcement statewide to enable increased law enforcement presence and prevention of impaired and reckless driving during peak travel times. Last year, 675,9445 of tickets were issued during mobilizations for impaired driving, speeding, and distracted driving—some of the most dangerous driving behaviors. SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM All of these grants build on the state's efforts to make our roadways safer and fund successful programs such as the Click It or Ticket enforcement campaigns. According to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University at Albany's Rockefeller College, New York's seat belt compliance rate has consistently remained at or above 90 percent since 2010 while the national average for seatbelt compliance is 89 percent. New York also saw a notable reduction in fatal crashes from 766 between January and October in 2024 to 681 during that same timeframe in 2025. REGIONAL BREAKDOWN Capital Region $998,799 Central NY $658,532 Finger Lakes $850,954 Long Island $1,683,122 Mid-Hudson $1,922,567 Mohawk Valley $361,316 North Country $263,366 NYC $2,165,377 Southern Tier $394,383 Western NY $892,607 Statewide Projects $43,996,110 Grand Total $54,277,113 Learn more about the GTSC grant program and how to apply for funding by visiting https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/gtsc-faqs.

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GTSC awards $54M+ highway safety grants for 2026

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