SS4A Demonstration and Implementation Grant Awards Announced (and what it means for communities)
Contact: Jeremy Chapman, PhD, PE, National Roadway Safety Lead, and Brandon Gonzalez, AICP, Principal, Alta
The next round of Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding was announced today by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)! These awards are specifically for Demonstration and Implementation Grants (Safety Action Plan funding was announced in October). The Demonstration and Implementation grants are awarded to communities with adopted Safety Action Plans to provide additional funding for the next steps of implementation.
We are excited to share that $817 million in Demonstration Grant awards went to 337 communities through the program. Another 48 communities received Implementation Grants. Grants have been awarded to both local and regional governments, including $10 million to the City of El Paso, TX, with another local $2.4 million match.
The City of El Paso received much needed funding for impactful change that will make roads safer, especially for the City’s most vulnerable road users. The Vision Zero Action Plan, led by Alta, led to the implementation funding request that included funding for multiple quick build projects, demonstrations, a robust education campaign, a proactive safe routes to school program that will assess nearly 50 schools, and critical funding to address dangerous intersections. Additionally, the City received funding for systemic improvements to its most dangerous corridor including a new sidepath, buffered bike lanes, ADA and pedestrian improvements, and signal changes. We were honored to lead the grant application process. Congratulations, El Paso!
Alta also assisted a number of other communities by writing successful Safety Action Plans, including the City of Nashville, Delaware County (PA), the City of Knoxville, and Knoxville Transportation Planning Organization.
What Can YOU do with Demonstration Grant Funding?
SS4A began in 2022 with three categories: Safety Action Plans, Supplemental grants, and Implementation grants. The purpose of the supplemental grant was to expand on or complete an initial safety action plan, while the implementation grant was to implement the recommendations of the safety action plan. This distinction left a gap that needed to be filled — many applicants wanted to experiment with different options and test them in the field in a temporary or “quick-build” manner. They needed to demonstrate to their constituency how these options would function prior to committing significant resources to fully and permanently implementing safety solutions. As a result, the “demonstration grant” option was created to replace the “supplemental grant” option to expand funding options during the 2023 funding round. Here are some examples of how your community can benefit from funding:
Safe Routes to School Projects and Programs: Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs use community feedback, extensive data collection, and analysis to develop safe and accessible transportation options for all students and their families walking and biking to school. From walk audits to school safety assessments, SRTS programs analyze existing conditions, collisions, and other data to prioritize recommendations across communities.
Examples:
- MnDOT Safe Routes to School Demonstration Projects and Implementation Guide
- San Mateo County Office of Education SRTS Evaluation, Youth-Based High-Injury Network, and SRTS Strategy
Education and Encouragement Traffic Safety Campaigns: Messaging is a critical component when creating positive change towards safer streets. Traffic Safety Campaigns create safety recommendations that are centered around changing people’s behaviors. To complement data-driven implementation-focused approaches, these campaigns use behavioral science alongside data to create messaging for the particular safety issue.
Example: Building on Past Success, Roanoke, VA Prepares for Bicycle Safety Campaign
Quick Build and Demonstration Projects: Demonstration projects are intended to be in place for a short period of time and can use quick-build methods for installation. These projects are low-cost and are used to pilot potential long-term design solutions to improve walking and bicycling, vehicle travel, and public spaces. They allow public agencies, community partners, and people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving to experience and evaluate potential improvements to gain understanding and support for permanent changes.
Examples:
Road Safety Audits: The gold standard of a safety investigation is the Road Safety Audit. These may involve assembling a large team of experts across many areas, including engineering, planning, maintenance, law enforcement and other first responders. This team will then, if possible, visit the area of concern together, conduct a detailed investigation into the challenges, and discuss potential solutions. Over the past decade or so, the rise of technology has enabled some of these to be conducted virtually instead, to similarly beneficial effect and potentially lower cost.
Safety Assessments: Similar to a Road Safety Audit, a Safety Assessment is a less-detailed approach intended to include a small team of experienced safety professionals (typically certified in road safety with an RSP). This team reviews all available operational and crash data for an area of concern and draws conclusions as to the probable issues, then proposes one or more countermeasures that could be implemented to improve the area.
For both Road Safety Audits and Safety Assessments, Alta has the experienced and credentialed staff to provide expert input for both engineering and planning safety issues at these locations of concern.
The next round of funding applications is scheduled to open in February and end in March 2024. This accelerated schedule will expediate funding, thereby helping more communities secure and use funding to better our streets and roads to meet the urgency of safety needs in our country. Please reach out to the Alta Safety Team or your local office to find out more about the straightforward application process and how we can partner with you to create safer, healthier, and more equitable mobility for all.
