Federal and local officials gathered at the Weld County Southwest Service Center on Tuesday to announce that the county had received a $400,000 “Safe Streets and Roads for All” grant from the United States Department of Transportation.

The planning and demonstration grant will be utilized to study and “develop a comprehensive safety action plan,” according to the grant’s description.

Democratic Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, who represents Colorado’s 8th District, which includes a large portion of Weld County, wasted no time pointing out how Colorado saw a “57% increase in traffic fatalities” in the last 10 years.

“One life lost is one life too many,” Caraveo said. “There’s been a record number of traffic fatalities in Colorado in the last year. We have to do more to protect our families.”

Sixty-five percent more fatal accidents occur in rural areas such as Weld County, Caraveo said.

Earlier this month, the U.S. DOT announced that $813 million of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law would go toward 385 Safe Streets and Roads for All grants.

The grants are intended to help communities foster safer roadways through various mechanisms such as appropriate vehicle speeds, intersection improvements and increased post-crash care.

Weld County applied for the grant, and Caraveo endorsed it.

In Weld County, the grant dollars will be utilized to examine how roads in unincorporated areas of the county, specifically, can be safer.

“We’re a large county. We’re 4,000 square miles across, which is bigger than many states,” Kevin Ross, Weld County commissioner, said Tuesday.

“It’s really going to help out Weld County; help us get our roads in a safer condition and identify those opportunities for improvements.”