Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program

Federal Agency

Sub-Department

Office of the Secretary

Purpose

To support planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets involving all roadway users, often referred to as "Vision Zero" plans. This program includes Planning and Demonstration Grant, and Implementation Grants.

Applicant and/or Project Eligibility Requirements

Eligible projects include (a) developing a comprehensive safety action plan; (b) conducting planning, design, and development activities for projects and strategies identified in a comprehensive safety action plan; and (c) carrying out projects and strategies identified in a comprehensive safety action plan. For Implementation Grants, activities must include element (c).

Decarbonization Considerations

While this program will fund safety projects generally, applicants should prioritize projects that will decrease the need for private vehicles on the road and increase transit ridership, promote carpooling and ridesharing, and be in coordination with regional transit-oriented development planning. Communities should look to deploy extensive, convenient, well-connected bus rapid transit, cycling, and pedestrian projects that can align with local, regional, and statewide vehicle electrification plans.

Equity Considerations

In order to effectively and equitably improve road safety, understand which communities lack reasonable and convenient access to transit and multi-modal options. This could include additional collaboration with frontline communities and other stakeholders to address both procedural and distributional equity concerns.

Helpful Tips

Here's a more detailed breakdown to get a sense of reasonable application requests. 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 for all applicants. The Department expects larger award amounts for a metropolitan planning organization (MPO), an application comprised of a multijurisdictional group of entities that is regional in scope (e.g., a multijurisdictional group of counties, a council of governments and cities within the same region), or those who are conducting activities in a large geographic area. The Department will consider applications with funding requests under the expected minimum award amount. For Implementation Grants, DOT expects the minimum award will be $2,500,000 and the maximum award will be $25,000,000. DOT reserves the right to make Implementation Grant awards less than the total amount requested by the applicant.

Other Notes

Proposals are expected to significantly reduce or eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries involving various road users; demonstrate engagement with a variety of public and private stakeholders; adopt innovative technologies or strategies to promote safety; employ low-cost, high-impact strategies that can improve safety over a wider geographical area; ensure equitable investment in the safety needs of underserved communities; and include evidence-based projects or strategies. Planning and demonstration grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, with awards in later deadlines being contingent on the availability of remaining funds. Applicant must choose between submitting a planning OR an implementation grant. See the list of 2023 awards here: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/2023-awards