Part of a $4.6M grant will improve road safety in Pawnee Nation

PAWNEE, Okla. — A University of Texas at Arlington researcher is leading a $4.6 million effort to improve road safety in rural tribal communities, including Oklahoma's Pawnee Nation.

A grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will fund safety improvements in Pawnee Nation in Oklahoma, along with tribal communities in Nevada and Arizona.

Researchers say many of these communities face challenges including poor road conditions, limited lighting, a lack of traffic control devices, and higher risks for speeding and lane-departure crashes.

The project will use tools like sensors, video, and community input to identify safety concerns and test possible solutions.

2 News traveled to Pawnee Nation to see how the roads were before these improvements begin. The researcher on this project says work in Pawnee should begin in the next two months.

"I always thought that this rural area or the tribal communities are not very often looked at by researchers. It's because their location is not, you know, the city centers or the downtown area or densely populated areas." Kate Hyun said.

Hyun, a UTA associate professor, has been working on this transportation safety project for more than a decade.

Researchers will also create digital models of roadways to simulate improvements such as new signage, road markings, and lighting before those changes are put in place.

The goal is to combine infrastructure upgrades with education and public awareness campaigns to create long-term safety improvements for drivers and pedestrians in these communities over the next four years.

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