Make Headway with SS4A
What is SS4A?
Safe Streets for All (SS4A) is a discretionary program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and overseen by the US Department of Transportation. Funds are available for planning activities, such as developing a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan or demonstration project, or for implementation activities to construct projects identified in a plan. Since the launch of the program in fiscal year 2022, $26 million dollars has been awarded to Ohio communities, supporting 40 planning projects and one implementation project. Ohio recipients include villages like West Union and Buckeye Lake, cities like Dayton and Cleveland, and regions like Eastgate, MORPC, and Wayne County.
SS4A requires communities to think proactively about reducing the systemic causes of serious and fatal crashes using the Safe Systems Approach. This approach accounts for human behavior and acknowledges that safer behavior, vehicles, speeds, and post-crash care are critical elements in addition to safer roadway design. The approach also acknowledges that active transportation users are more likely to be seriously injured or killed in crashes.
 The Safe Systems Approach, Source: USDOT
Could SS4A be right for your community?
If you are considering whether SS4A is the right program for your community, consider these experiences from Ohio communities:
“SS4A is the first program that has provided the opportunity to take a step back and look at the safety of our transportation system in a holistic manner. It opened our eyes to the plethora of factors that impact safety, and, more importantly has given us a roadmap to address it. The study really made our team realize that people are using our roadways in modes other than vehicles across our transportation system, in numbers that are increasing, and in all locales whether it be rural or urban. People want to use our roadways in modes other than vehicles. If they feel safer, they will use active transportation more. SS4A is an opportunity no community should take a pass on.” - Mike Pniewski, Lucas County Engineer, Planning Grant recipient in partnership with Wood, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties
“The SS4A is a great way to get disparate groups together like law enforcement, public health, engineering, and maintenance staff. Making sure you have multiple people at the table helps make informed decisions and investigate ideas you might not have been aware of if not for a multi-disciplinarian group.” – Veronica Newsome, City of Lorain, Stakeholder in Lorain’s countywide plan led by Lorain County Public Health.
What kinds of projects are eligible?
-
Planning and Demonstration funds can create or update a Safety Action Plan, or conduct demonstration activities to inform an Action Plan.
-
Implementation funds can install infrastructure, behavioral, or operational activities recommended in your community’s Safety Action Plan
There is an upcoming deadline for Planning and Demonstration Grant applications on August 29th, 2024! For more on project eligibility and application information, visit the Transportation.Gov SS4A site.
ODOT Resources:
- Want to learn tips for writing a grant application? Grant Writing for LPAs, provided by the Ohio LTAP Center, provides a step-by-step process to write your first grant application. Find out more about this on-demand course here.
- Check out ODOT's Discretionary Grant website for regular updates about upcoming grant opportunities!
 Announcements
- In case you missed it above, applications are open for US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding opportunity. Round three of grants for planning and demonstration projects are due Monday, August 29, 2024. Find out more and apply.
- ODOT released an Early Adoption List of items in the new edition of Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This list highlights future re-design or replacement of traffic controls that the previous edition did not address or addressed differently. The full edition of the MUTCD is available as a PDF on the Federal Highway Administration’s website.
- The application deadline has been extended for the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) through Wednesday, July 17, 2024. The ATIIP provides grants to plan and build active transportation infrastructure to improve safety, connectivity, and mobility opportunities. For more information, please visit the ATIIP website or reach out to atiip@dot.gov.
- There are several other grant opportunities with applications closing soon. Check out the Current Solicitations for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- Another round of funding is available for capital construction and community planning projects through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP). There is more than $600 million available. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2024. Find out more and apply to the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program here.
|
