Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith, Omar Secure Significant Federal Funding for Minneapolis’s Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $20,004,000 in federal funding for the City of Minneapolis to implement its Vision Zero Action Plan. The Plan addresses the three leading causes of severe and fatal traffic accidents in Minneapolis: speeding, left-turn conflicts, and red-light running. “We have an obligation to ensure our roads are safe for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians,” said Klobuchar. “These infrastructure upgrades will save lives.” “We need to build a transportation system that prioritizes safety. This important investment will help make progress toward eliminating pedestrian injuries in Minneapolis,” said Smith. “Sometimes smaller things like pedestrian refuge islands, high-visibility crosswalks and protected bicycle lanes are the most effective tools to create safer roads. I appreciate the work of local leaders to make Minneapolis safer for everyone.”“Investing in pedestrian and traffic safety measures will help protect the lives of Minnesotans. I’m glad to see federal dollars coming back home to Minneapolis to implement proven improvements that will make streets safer for all users, especially our most vulnerable. We know speeding, red light violations and turn conflicts cause serious accidents, and this funding will directly address those dangers. I applaud Mayor Frey and city leaders for prioritizing residents’ wellbeing through Vision Zero, and I’ll keep working to secure federal infrastructure dollars that help communities across Minnesota thrive,” said Omar. The Vision Zero Action Plan components include pedestrian safety features, including intersection medians, protected bicycle lanes, and systematic
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding for Highway Infrastructure Project in Brainerd
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $25 million in federal funding for the Highway 210 Brainerd Multimodal Connectivity Project. Specifically, the grant, provided through USDOT’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) program, will allow MnDOT to address critical safety concerns in the historic Brainerd Lakes Area. “As one of the busiest corridors in Crow Wing County, Highway 210 is an important link for local residents and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “These federal dollars will fund essential safety improvements for drivers and pedestrians, while making much-needed upgrades to public utility infrastructure.” “Infrastructure is the backbone of a strong, resilient economy,” said Smith. “Highway 210 helps connect families and businesses across the Brainerd Lakes area and is critical for shipping and commerce in northern Minnesota. Investing in projects like these not only makes our roads safer, but helps support local economies across the state.” Highway 210 through Brainerd is an important corridor for local residents, commuters, tourists, and freight. It has the highest traffic volumes in Crow Wing County and is the only continuous east‐west corridor in Brainerd. The $25 million grant will fund improvements to reduce the risk of fatal and serious injury crashes; create a network of multi-use sidewalks, crosswalks and trails; rehabilitate the Washington Street bridge; and allow the city of Brainerd to make critical improvements to aging public utility and stormwater systems. The MPDG Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) program supports projects that improve and expand our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure in
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Susan Collins Address Rise in Tick-Borne Diseases and Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Target, Prevent, and Treat Lyme Disease
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/23/19]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), in a bipartisan effort, pushed for improving research and treatment efforts that address the sharp rise in tick-borne diseases. The Ticks: Identify, Control, and Knockout (TICK) Act, improves coordination between government response at the federal and local levels to tick borne diseases. “Minnesotans are eager to get outside after a long winter,” said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Health Committee. “Unfortunately, the number of Lyme disease cases in the state—and states across the country—is on the rise. Our bipartisan bill aims to reduce the number of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Rep. Sean Casten, Senate and House Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Nation’s Energy Storage Capabilities
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/22/2019]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Representative Sean Casten (D-Ill.)—along with a bipartisan group of Senate and House colleagues—introduced their Promoting Grid Storage Act of 2019, which would boost research and development of cutting-edge technologies to increase energy storage capabilities for America’s electric grid and enable the expanded use of clean energy. In addition to Sen. Smith and Rep. Casten, the bill is also supported by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Reps. Ben Ray
Smith, Portman Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Transparency and Safety of American Study Abroad Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/21/2019]–U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today introduced bipartisan legislation—the Ravi Thackurdeen Safe Students Study Abroad Act—to increase the amount of information available to students regarding the risks they may face when studying abroad. While studying abroad is an educationally enriching experience for many American students, too little information is currently available to them and their parents. Sens. Smith and Portman are calling for greater transparency, and the Ravi Thackurdeen Safe Students Study Abroad Act will require institutions of higher education that offer study abroad programs to issue biennial reports on safety incidents experienced by
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: Too Many Children in Federal Housing Still At Risk of Lead Exposure
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/21/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is leading a Senate effort to greatly reduce the risk that children in Minnesota and across the country who live in federally subsidized housing are exposed to lead, which can cause serious health, neurological, and behavioral problem. On Tuesday, Sen. Smith along with several Senate colleagues introduced the “Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act,” to require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to adopt prevention measures and update rules to protect children from lead exposure. “A family should never have to choose between affordable housing and their children’s safety,”
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