RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in
NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.
Powell Bill Funds
The department has started distributing more than $132 million in State Street Aid, also known as Powell Bill funds, to 508 municipalities across the state.
The initial allocation of the funds went out this week. The other half will be paid by the end of the year.
The Powell Bill requires towns and cities to use the money primarily for resurfacing streets within their corporate limits. It can also help pay for construction, improvements, repairs and maintenance of any street or public thoroughfare, including bridges, drainage systems, and curbs and gutters, as well as the planning, construction and maintenance of bikeways, greenways or sidewalks.
October: Deadliest Month on NC Roadways
October is statistically the deadliest month on North Carolina’s roads. Since safety is the department’s top priority, we’ll be providing you with tips all month long.
October is also pedestrian safety month. In 2018, there were more than 6,200 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes nationwide.
Remember, every person walking is a pedestrian, whether they are in a parking lot, crosswalk, or road. Visit
watchformeNC.org for tips on how we can all reduce pedestrian and bicycle injuries and deaths.
SlowCOVIDNC App
There is a new tool from the state Department of Health and Human Services to help us slow the spread of the coronavirus:
SlowCOVIDNC.
The free app, available in the App Store and Google Play, is intended to supplement and enhance the state’s contact tracing efforts. The app will anonymously notify users of potential exposure to COVID-19. However, the app does not collect, store or share personal information or location data.