The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program, with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, 2022-2026. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.

The following groups of applicants are eligible for the SS4A grant program:

• Counties, cities, towns, transit agencies, and other special districts that are political subdivisions of a State.

• Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).

• Federally recognized Tribal governments.

The program supports the development of a comprehensive safety action plan (Action Plan) that identifies the most significant roadway safety concerns in a community and the implementation of projects and strategies to address roadway safety issues. Action Plans are the foundation of the SS4A grant program. SS4A requires an eligible Action Plan be in place before applying to implement projects and strategies. The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants:

• Planning and Demonstration Grants provide Federal funds to develop, complete, or supplement a comprehensive safety action plan. The goal of an Action Plan is to develop a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality, Tribe, or region. Planning and Demonstration Grants also fund supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities that inform the development of a new or existing Action Plan. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.

• Implementation Grants provide Federal funds to implement projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan to address a roadway safety problem. Projects and strategies can be infrastructure, behavioral, and/or operational activities. Implementation Grants may also include demonstration activities, supplemental planning, and project-level planning, design, and development. Applicants must have an eligible Action Plan to apply for Implementation Grants. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.

Information related to the SS4A Grant Program can be found on U.S. Department of Transportation website. https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4

A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is released each year of the grant program. The Notice of Funding Opportunity solicits applications for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants. The 2023 NOFO can be reviewed online (https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/fy23-nofo).

Please refer to the SS4A Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet located: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/self-certification-worksheet.

The WFRC CSAP will be the compliant Action Plan. It will be up to each city/ applicant to reference this WFRC Plan.

The SS4A Grant Program has the following priorities:

• Promote safety to prevent death and serious injuries on public roadways;

• Employ low-cost, high-impact strategies that can improve safety over a wide geographic area;

• Ensure equitable investment in the safety needs of underserved communities, which includes both underserved urban and rural communities;

• Incorporate evidence-based projects and strategies and adopt innovative technologies and strategies;

• Demonstrate engagement with a variety of public and private stakeholders; and

• Align with the Department’s mission and Strategic Goals such as safety; climate change and sustainability; equity and Justice40; and workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation.

Yes, depending on recommendations of the adopted Action Plan. Please see the response to Question 4.

Please also refer to the FHWA website: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/eligible-implementation-grant-projects

All roadways are eligible for implementation funds if an eligible applicant meets the following requirement specific for an Implementation Grant:

Must be an eligible applicant with an eligible Action Plan in place based on the Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet AND have at least one of the following:

• Ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities over a roadway network.

• Safety responsibilities that affect roadways.

• An agreement from the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction. State highways, for example, require support and cooperation from UDOT.

One of the elements of an Action Plan is leadership commitment to an eventual goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries. The following description is provided in the NOFO of this component of an Action Plan:

An official public commitment (e.g., resolution, policy, ordinance) by a high-ranking official and/or governing body (e.g., Mayor, City Council, Tribal Council, metropolitan planning organization [MPO], Policy Board) to an eventual goal of zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries. The commitment must include a goal and timeline for eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries achieved through one, or both, of the following:

1. the target date for achieving zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries, OR

2. an ambitious percentage reduction of roadway fatalities and serious injuries by a specific date with an eventual goal of eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

WFRC intends to establish a leadership commitment as a part of the project.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the SS4A program and approved $6 billion in funding, with $5 billion in advanced appropriations. For fiscal year 2023, $1 billion has been made available for grants under the SS4A program, plus approximately an additional $177 million for funding Planning and Demonstration grants, or supplemental planning and demonstration activities in Implementation Grant requests, that was unallocated from FY 2022.

There is no statutory minimum or maximum. However, the NOFO provides expected minimum and maximum ranges for each applicant type and DOT may award less than the total amount requested by the applicant. When considering the appropriate funding request, DOT recommends an applicant consider the level of effort to administer a Federal grant and the associated administrative requirements when developing the budget.

For Planning and Demonstration Grants, award amounts will be based on estimated costs, with an expected minimum of $100,000 and an expected maximum of $10,000,000. The Department expects larger award amounts for metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), applicants that are multijurisdictional in scope, or those conducting activities in a large geographic area.

For Implementation Grants, DOT expects the minimum award will be $2,500,000 and the maximum award will be $25,000,000.

A local match of no less than 20 percent of the total project cost is required for all SS4A grant funds. Local match may include both cash as well as in-kind contributions.

Please refer to the FHWA Safe Streets and Roads for All website for current information: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A.

WFRC will complete an Action Plan that will satisfy requirements for agencies and municipalities within WFRC to apply for an Implementation Grant. Implementation Grant applications will be the responsibility of the local agency or municipality, although WFRC may provide general guidelines or suggestions.

SS4A funds are directed to improving streets owned, operated, and maintained by local jurisdictions. An eligible applicant must have an agreement with the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction to implement the project or strategy as part of an Implementation Grant.

Policy and process updates, with a safety focus or benefit, are an eligible activity of a comprehensive safety action plan. The WFRC CSAP will include a policy review and may identify recommendations for new policies/design guidelines. However, those will not be prepared within the WFRC CSAP. A local jurisdiction could apply for a supplemental grant to prepare the standards/policy, if the need is identified in the comprehensive safety action plan.

The SS4A 2022 Grant Awards can be found online (https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/2022-awards). Examples of joint applications can be found online.

Please refer to the FHWA Safe Streets and Roads for All website: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A. SS4A award funds will go directly to the applicant of the grant. The FHWA Utah Division office is available to answer questions regarding the administration of federal funds. It is our understanding that the FHWA Utah Division office would administer federal funds for agencies not able to provide their own administration. Please consult with the FHWA Utah Division office to confirm.

With the current minimum award amount for an implementation grant identified in the response to question # 8, it may make sense for a municipality to submit a joint application with another municipality or agency.

Transit agencies are an eligible applicant, including transit authorities operated by political subdivisions of a State. See also # 15.

A joint application would be one submitted by two partnering communities or agencies. One of the agencies would be designated as a lead agency. The other agency would be designated as a supporting agency. FHWA looks favorably upon joint applications.