WATSONVILLE >> Watsonville was one of more than 250 communities throughout the country to receive funding for street improvement projects as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s third round of grant funding as part of the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the city’s congressional representative, announced that Watsonville would receive $320,000 for updated road and safety plans.

Safe Streets and Roads for All is a program created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021. The program provides funding for regional, local and tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries and has allocated more than $2.9 million in funds to more than 1,600 communities since awards were first issued in 2022.

The $320,000 for Watsonville would be used to develop an active transportation plan and local road safety plan to mitigate fatalities on city roadways, something the city has been working on since at least 2021.

“Mobility is key to our local, regional, and national economies, and thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, robust funding is flowing all around the country for road improvement projects,” Lofgren said in a statement. “I’m glad to announce this federal investment to help the City of Watsonville develop and improve plans that will make roads safer for everyone.”

Other nearby communities to receive funding through the program’s latest round of grants include Gilroy, San Jose and San Benito County.