BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM — The village took a step closer toward implementing a planning grant it shares with the town from the state’s Safe Streets for All program.

The mayor and village board of trustees passed several resolutions at their Aug. 17 meeting related to the $158,568.00 USDOT grant the town and village received in 2024 to develop comprehensive street safety plans for the two municipalities. The resolutions set up a budget framework to be able to use the funds to develop plans to enhance street and pedestrian safety in the Potsdam community at large. 

“Our Safe Streets for All projects are moving forward, working in partnership with the town of Potsdam on that,” Village Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke told the board of trustees at their Aug. 17 meeting.

“And the goal of that is really accessibility and safety for everyone, for all types of users getting around our community, whether you're in a vehicle, a bike, walking, using a wheelchair, on a scooter as a child, we want to make it safer to get around,” the mayor said.

At the Aug. 17 meeting the village board voted to create a budget line for the Safe Streets 4 All program under the General Fund 05-1910-502, with grant reimbursements received for this program will go into revenue line05-4950-000, Federal Grants.

The board also approved the increase of a budget expense line for the Safe Streets 4 All Program, 05-1910-502 to $198,210.00. Reimbursements will be in the amounts of $158,568.00 from the USDOT and $39,642.00 from the village’s match.

Finally the board passed a resolution approving the increase of budget revenue line 05-4950-000, Federal Grants, by $158,568.00 to account for the reimbursement from the Safe Streets 4 All Program.

And, more is being done to move the planning process forward besides budget modifications as well. 

Wilke said the village has kicked off recruiting for a Safe Streets committee and have a national consultant in place who can help identify street safety issues in need of improvement throughout the town and village.

The mayor said the process will involve “extensive public outreach.” Notably the village and town have set up an online interactive street safety tool and an online Safe Streets community survey is in the works.

“You can access them on your phone or on the web, and you can report areas that you find to be great, a great example of a good design to get around, or an area you can still be a problem that needs some safety upgrades. That is data that is super helpful to us and one of many ways that people can contribute to that,” Wilke said.

In a separate text conversation with North Country This Week, the mayor said the grant the village and town are using is one they were approved for in 2024.

“We have our contract for this (a drawn out process) and the work is beginning with out consultant and with the Clarkson C3G group as well. We will appoint an advisory committee soon and initial work has already begun,” she wrote.

The mayor said there will be Safe Streets recommendations developed for both town and village and each will have their own comprehensive safety action plan.

To learn more about the plan visit https://villageofpotsdamny.gov/ss4a/ .

To access the village’s and town’s interactive safety map tool, visit https://engagestantec.com/potsdam-sap .