Richard E. Jackson, Jr., state Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), today announced that GTSC has awarded Saratoga County $5,000 to develop a traffic safety plan, making the county the first to qualify for start-up highway safety funding under a new mini-grant program.

"Under Governor Pataki's leadership, New York State's roads and highways are safer than ever, but we must continue to improve upon our record with traffic safety initiatives that save lives," Commissioner Jackson said. "The new mini-grants will encourage eligible counties to develop strategic traffic safety plans required for additional highway safety funding."

Commissioner Jackson presented Saratoga County officials with a $5,000 check this morning during a ceremony in the Saratoga Springs City Council Chambers.

"Local traffic safety programs are essential to the State's efforts to save lives," Commissioner Jackson said. "We are making available grants like the one Saratoga County is receiving today in an effort to expand the State's traffic safety network and encourage counties to enhance their traffic safety planning efforts."

The Saratoga grant will help develop a strategic plan for addressing traffic safety throughout the county. Such plans typically call on enforcement agencies, schools, community groups and private organizations to participate in programs to raise public awareness of traffic safety and reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities.

"We are grateful to Governor Pataki and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee for providing this funding, which will help us improve traffic safety conditions throughout Saratoga County," said Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard P. Lucia. "We look forward to expanding our traffic safety programs in the future and working with the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee to help further those efforts."

Saratoga County Supervisor Anthony J. "Skip" Scirocco of Saratoga Springs, who was instrumental in securing the grant funding, said, "This grant will enable Saratoga County to revitalize our traffic safety board and to do the necessary planning so that we can qualify for additional grant money in the future. This will be of tremendous help to our law enforcement agencies in improving traffic safety in our county."

Saratoga Springs Mayor J. Michael O'Connell said, "Traffic safety or lack of it is really a local issue demanding the development of an assertive local response. Governor Pataki's state funding initiative enables Saratoga to be the first county under this grant program to craft a strategic local traffic safety program. This is an excellent example of a meaningful state and local partnership that should produce positive results."

Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Curley said, "We fully endorse the new program and we are pleased to participate in this worthwhile effort."

Saratoga Police Department Captain Robert Flanagan was recently named chair of the Saratoga County Traffic Safety Board, which will administer the county grant program.

The GTSC mini-grant program announced last November set aside $75,000 that counties can use to assist in developing the strategic traffic safety plans required for additional traffic safety funding through GTSC. Mini-grants of up to $5,000 are available to assist counties in meeting the participation requirements of the funding program. Eligible counties have not received a GTSC grant during the past two years. Counties may apply by contacting GTSC at (518) 474-5111.

GTSC is comprised of 13 State agencies concerned with highway safety issues. It coordinates program and research efforts that improve highway safety and administers a federal grant program.

GTSC awards grants for traffic safety programs plans developed by counties, local governments and not-for-profit organizations. Grant proposals are designed to address specific highway safety concerns identified in county strategic plans, which contribute to the state's overall program to improve highway safety.