CDOT, GHSA and the NRSF partner with Adelante community organization to develop teen traffic safety program

Earlier this year, CDOT joined forces with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) to provide $25,000 in grant funding to local nonprofit organization Adelante Community Development to identify safe youth mobility options in Commerce City.

These grants were designed to help deliver equitable, affordable and sustainable community- based transportation solutions, while ensuring a safer environment for the next generation of road users.

Traffic crashes are one of the leading causes of death for young people in the United States.
Nationwide, nearly 1,100 youth (age 14 and younger) died in traffic crashes in 2020, up 3% from the year before, according to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Most of the schools in Commerce City were built in the 1950s and 1960s, and the lack of traffic safety awareness and infrastructure around the schools is an ongoing concern since the core city is surrounded by major roads and highways. During high traffic hours, many drivers take shortcuts through the residential streets, further impacting the safety of local youth.

The Colorado Crash Data Dashboard estimates that Adams County had 164 traffic crashes (2022), with 19 of those in Commerce City, including eight crashes involving a fatality. Over the course of the funding period, Adelante staff recruited and trained teens as part of their Traffic Safety Youth Advisory Board (TSYAB). The TSYAB teens were supported with resources in both English and Spanish designed to inform, engage and educate their peers.

The youth also collected data that can be used to support infrastructure changes within Commerce City to improve safety. For Colorado crash data, click here.