Panhandle Region
Comprehensive Safety Action Plan
The Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) is developing a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries across the region. The plan will identify high‑risk areas, recommend solutions, and help local communities prioritize improvements and funding through a holistic and collaborative approach.
Safer Roads Start with YOU!
This plan depends on input from the community to ensure it reflects real safety needs. We want to hear from everyone who uses transportation systems—whether you walk, bike, use transit, scooters, a wheelchair, or drive. Your experiences will help us identify which safety improvements should be prioritized to help reduce crashes and save lives.
Please join us at any of the upcoming Pop-Ups (dates, times, and locations can be found in the future events section) to learn more about the plan and share your experiences.
This website will serve as a hub to learn and share all things transportation safety for the City of Balch Springs-- explore our feedback opportunities to share your thoughts in the interactive map and survey tabs. For more background on the project, explore the resources and FAQ tabs.
The Panhandle Region encompasses the northern 26 county of Texas. These 26 counties have been broken up into 4 Subregions according to their cardinal direction.
•NW – Dallum, Sherman, Hansford, Hartley, Moore, Hutchinson
•NE – Ochiltree, Lipscomb, Roberts, Hemphill, Carson, Gray, Wheeler
•SW – Oldham, Potter, Deaf Smith, Randall, Parmer, Castro, Swisher
•SE – Armstrong, Donely, Collingsworth, Briscoe, Hall, Childress
To address the dramatic rise in traffic deaths and serious injuries, the USDOT is making an ambitious long-term goal of reaching zero deaths and serious injuries on the Nation’s highways, roads, and streets. In pursuit of this effort, the USDOT established the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” (SS4A) initiative which is a competitive grant program that will provide 5 billion dollars over the next 5 years to improve traffic safety by supporting local communities in the development of safety action plans, and the implementation of projects which reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on the local road network.
Comprehensive Safety Action Plans are strategic initiatives from the SS4A grants that are aimed to enhance the overall safety within a community. They involve a multifaceted approach, including data analysis, infrastructure improvements, public education, and collaboration with various stakeholders to address and mitigate safety risks effectively.
Nationwide, traffic deaths are increasing at an alarming rate, particularly in disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. Comprehensive Safety Action Plans are crucial because they systematically address safety concerns, significantly reducing the risk of accidents and fatalities. In Texas, vehicle fatalities remain a critical issue, with the state recording over 3,600 traffic deaths in 2022 alone. In the City of Balch Springs, yearly fatalities and serious injuries have been trending upward, with 41 people being killed or seriously injured in 2024. Balch Springs' Safety Action Plan will aim to eliminate roadway fatalities and serious injuries through safer streets, coordinated efforts, and targeting interventions.
