Lead Presenter:  Yige Tang | Senior Associate III | The Goodman Corporation​​​​​​​

Presentation Description
The City of Amarillo’s Texas Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Plan is a powerful example of how medium-sized communities (~200K Pop) can address the safety and mobility challenges of vulnerable road users through a balanced focus on active transportation, equity, and policy interventions. This presentation highlights the plan’s project development strategies, community engagement achievements, and early successes that demonstrate the potential for systemic change.

Though the SS4A Plan is still under development, it has already achieved significant milestones, one out of 15 proposed projects in the SS4A Plan secured funding through the FY24 SS4A Demonstration Grant. This project will implement traffic-calming measures and pedestrian-focused infrastructure near five schools, showcasing the plan’s ability to deliver actionable and feasible results even before its completion. Furthermore, the plan is actively identifying funding sources for the rest of proposed projects to expand its impact across the community.

A key foundation of this success is the SS4A Plan’s emphasis on promoting safe, active transportation. Proposed projects focus on enhancing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, implementing traffic-calming measures, and improving connectivity to critical destinations such as schools, parks, libraries, transit stops, grocery stores, and other major trip generators and destinations. By combining crash data analysis with extensive public feedback, the plan identifies high-risk areas and develops interventions that prioritize the safety and empowerment of non-motorized road users.

Addressing equity concerns is another key focus, with deliberate efforts to engage underrepresented communities and amplify their voices in the planning process. Over 6,000 survey responses were collected using diverse outreach strategies, including targeted postcards, community events, and digital campaigns. This inclusive approach ensures the plan reflects the needs of all roadway users, particularly those in historically underserved areas.

The SS4A Plan also prioritizes policy interventions to achieve long-term safety improvements. Proposed policies include implementing reduced speed zones near schools, updating multimodal design standards to support safe walking and biking, and integrating equity considerations into funding and resource allocation processes. These data-driven policies aim to institutionalize safer streets while aligning with federal safety and equity goals.

This presentation will share transferable techniques and practical insights on how promoting active transportation, addressing equity concerns, and implementing policy interventions can create safer, more inclusive communities. Attendees will learn how Amarillo’s approach balances community input, data analysis, and actionable policies to build a foundation for safe and equitable mobility.

  Co-presenter(s): 

Emily Koller
City of Amarillo

Shari Kendall
City of Amarillo

Robert McHaney
The Goodman Corporation

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