The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – provides historic levels of investment in our country’s roads and bridges, water and wastewater systems, and airports. As a part of that investment, officials in D.C. are now working to stand up dozens of new or expanded grant programs – many of which are open to local governments directly.
Earlier this month, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the first funding opportunity for the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. SS4A is the first federal grant program to provide funds to local governments specifically to plan and implement steps to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The program is expected to be open for applications annually and provide at least $5 billion over the next five years.
How to Apply
Local governments and planning organizations have until September 15 to apply for the first round of the program, which makes up to $1 billion available for grants. This year, the USDOT is planning to award hundreds of Action Plan grants and up to 100 Implementation grants. Further details on each grant type are outlined below:
Action Plan Grants
Local governments and planning organizations can apply for funding to develop “comprehensive safety action plans” to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the roads in their communities. At least $400 million of this year’s funding is reserved for planning grants. Grants for Action Plans may be up to $1 million for individual applicants and up to $5 million for an application across multiple jurisdictions.
Implementation Grants
Implementation grants are available for applicants to undertake work identified in existing plans that meet USDOT requirements. Implementation grants may be up to $30 million for individual communities and up to $50 million for regional applications.
The most competitive applications will be in locations that can demonstrate a high rate of fatal and serious injury crashes, as well as those that propose to use “low-cost, high-impact strategies” to address the problem. As with many of the new grant programs, applicants will also be scored on whether they address safety issues in underserved areas, including both urban and rural communities.
How CMT Can Assist Your Community
CMT is proud of our work creating safer streets to build stronger communities, and we are excited to see these new resources in action. Here’s a look at how our experts can help with this new program:
- Evaluating this opportunity for your community and your specific challenges;
- Developing strategies for Action Plans that will meet USDOT standards and help prevent serious injuries and fatalities;
- Reviewing existing roadway safety or Vision Zero plans to see if they fulfill the program’s requirement for comprehensive safety action plans, allowing communities to compete for implementation grants in the first year of the program; and
- Grant writing and application preparation to help position your project for success.
To learn how CMT’s safety and funding experts can support clients in pursuing these and other new funds, contact us at questions@cmtengr.com.