BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The city of Bellingham will receive nearly $2.8 million in federal funding to improve emergency vehicle response times and reduce traffic conflicts through upgrades to the city’s traffic signal system.

The $2.76 million grant is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All program, which funds projects aimed at reducing roadway deaths and serious injuries.

The funding will go towards that’s known as “traffic signal preemption and priority,” which uses GPS-based technology to help traffic signals respond and adjust to approaching vehicles. The city’s existing system relies on technology that requires a direct line of sight between vehicles and traffic signals.

City officials say the project will improve emergency vehicle progression through intersections and enhance post-crash response operations. The upgrades are expected to reduce delays for first responders, decrease intersection conflicts and secondary crashes, and improve emergency access throughout the city.

“When someone calls 911, every second matters,” Mayor Kim Lund said in a statement. “This investment will help our emergency responders move through Bellingham more quickly and safely, getting critical help to people when they need it most.”

Lund said the improvements will also help lay the groundwork for faster and more reliable public transit service through the city’s partnership with Whatcom Transportation Authority. The new technology will be able to extend a green light or shorten a red light to help buses move more efficiently throughout the city.

Public works confirmed that the upgraded system will be implemented at every traffic light in the city. There is no current timeline for the system to be in effect, since the city just received notice of the federal grant.

The funding was announced as part of a larger round of transportation safety grants awarded throughout Washington state.

In northwest Washington, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community received $375,000 to update its Transportation Safety Action Plan and test safety improvements on tribal roads and highway access points. Island County was awarded about $4.5 million for shoulder widening and other safety improvements along a stretch of State Route 20 with a history of serious crashes.

Statewide, Washington received about $24.6 million through the latest round of Safe Streets for All grants.