Franklin Commission is fiscal agent for traffic safety grants
RUSSELLVILLE — The Franklin County Commission continues its role as fiscal agent for five grants that support traffic enforcement and safety programs across 16 counties in north Alabama.
The grants fund the work of the North Central Alabama Highway Safety Office, one of four such regional programs in the state. The office operates under the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Gov. Kay Ivey announced the latest round of funding earlier this month, awarding more than $7.6 million statewide to enhance highway safety and reduce reckless driving.
The Franklin County Commission received $3.15millionfortheNorth Central and East Central Regional Highway Safety Offices, which together cover more than two dozen counties across Alabama.
“Responsible lawabiding motorists deserve to travel safely on our highways and roads,” Ivey said in the announcement. “These funds will support our police officers, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers who work tirelessly to ensure that those who break our traffic laws are either ticketed for their reckless behavior or removed from the roads.”
Project Director Eddie Russell said the Franklin Commission serves as the fiscal agent for all five grants, handling the administrative side while the office coordinates enforcement and outreach with law enforcement agencies throughout the region.
“These are grants that come yearly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to the state,” Russell said. “We have four coordinators across the state, and I cover 16 counties in north Alabama.”
The funding includes an administrative grant that covers the office’s day-to-day expenses, such as salaries, rent and supplies. Russell said that one totals about $300,000 and includes a local match component.
“One of them is just for operational cost — salary, rent, office supplies,” he said.
The largest grant, known as the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, or STEP, provides about $1.3 million for traffic enforcement. It focuses on speeding, following too closely, and other driving behaviors that lead to crashes.
“It’s for traffic enforcement within the 16-county region, with emphasis on speeding, following too close, just trying to change the driving behaviors of the motoring public,” Russell said.
The impaired driving grant, totaling about $1,078,000, has two components — $425,000 for enforcement and the remainder for equipment purchases that will be distributed to law enforcement agencies throughout the region.
“About $425,000 of that is for enforcement, and the rest is for equipment that will be distributed to law enforcement agencies,” Russell said.
Two smaller, shortterm grants support national traffic safety campaigns that occur annually. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which promotes seat belt use, will run in May 2026 and was funded for $56,200. The “Drive Sober, Get Pulled Over” campaign, which focuses on impaired driving, is scheduled for late summer leading up to Labor Day and was funded for $62,400.
Russell said the goal of all five grants is the same — to improve driver behavior, reduce crashes and save lives through targeted enforcement and public awareness.
“These grants are a good tool,” he said. “What we hope to be able to do is save somebody’s life — somebody’s family member, somebody’s husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father — through targeted traffic enforcement.”
The North Central Alabama Highway Safety Office works with law enforcement agencies in a 16-county region that includes Franklin, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Fayette, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Walker and Winston counties.
Russell said his office writes new applications each year to renew funding, ensuring continuous support for local agencies that take part in the safety programs.
