Road to Safety: How SS4A Funding Can Drive Change in Your Community

Looking to make your roadways safer and more accessible? The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program can provide the funds to do just that.

Buckle up, municipal leaders – the SS4A program is here to help enhance street safety in your community. This initiative, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, offers grants to local, regional, and Tribal communities for projects aimed at reducing fatal and severe crashes. With $1 billion allocated per year through FY 2026, the SS4A program is dedicated to making roads safer for everyone through two grant types.

• Planning and Demonstration Grants can be used for activities such as strategic planning, safety analyses, and goal setting.
• Implementation Grants can be used to carry out objectives from the planning process such as infrastructure improvements, enacting speed management strategies, and creating safe routes to schools.

Since its launch, the SS4A program has awarded $2.9 billion to over 1,600 communities across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, enhancing roadway safety for approximately 77% of the US population.

Here’s a snapshot of communities benefitting as of February 2025:

• About half are new direct federal funding recipients from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
• Approximately half are in rural areas.
• 44% have populations under 50,000.

With an emphasis on collaboration, the streamlined grant process ensures that even communities new to federal funding can quickly complete and sign grant agreements. Thousands of communities have already improved safety through planning and implementation, and funds are still available. Now is the time to start gearing up for the next application opportunity.

It All Starts with a Plan

A Comprehensive Safety Action Plan is a cornerstone of the SS4A program and can be developed with Planning and Demonstration Grant funds. These plans provide a clear, data-driven roadmap for reducing crashes, improving infrastructure, and addressing the needs of all road users. They are also essential for communities aiming to secure SS4A Implementation Grant funding. By prioritizing equity through a data-driven process and engaging the community, safety action plans ensure that projects are both impactful and inclusive.

Key components of these plans, as outlined by USDOT, include:

• Leadership commitment and goal setting: Establishing a clear vision and commitment to safety from community leaders.
• Analysis of crash data and safety concerns: Using data to identify high-risk areas and prioritize interventions.
• Community engagement and collaboration: Involving residents and stakeholders in the planning process to ensure solutions meet local needs.
• Prioritization of safety improvements based on risk and equity: Focusing on areas with the highest risk and addressing disparities.
• Ongoing evaluation and monitoring of implemented measures: Continuously assessing the effectiveness of safety interventions and adjusting as needed.

Communities with well-developed safety action plans are better positioned to compete for funding needed to make meaningful progress toward reducing roadway incidents. In some cases, these plans are even a prerequisite for securing specific types of grants, underscoring their importance in the funding process.

"Creating a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan opens the door for future funding for transportation safety infrastructure projects. Some grants require Safety Action Plans that meet certain criteria and, without a plan, cities could be missing out on funding.”
– Jen Desrude, Senior Project Engineer

Building Blocks of a Safe System

Central to the SS4A program is the Safe System Approach, which acknowledges that human error is inevitable and designs road systems to prevent deaths and serious injuries. This method is built on five key pillars:

• Safer People: Promoting behaviors like wearing seat belts and following traffic laws.
• Safer Vehicles: Encouraging the use of advanced safety features and well-maintained vehicles.
• Safer Speeds: Supporting safer speeds through appropriate speed-limit setting, targeted education, enforcement, and design.
• Safer Roads: Engineering roadways to minimize crash risks and protect all users.
• Post-Crash Care: Ensuring quick and effective emergency responses to reduce the severity of crash outcomes.

By addressing these interconnected elements, communities can create a thorough safety framework that protects everyone on the road.

Amplifying Data and Community Voices

One of the most impactful aspects of the SS4A program is its emphasis on data and shared needs. Communities use crash data and other indicators – such as income levels, demographics, and access to essential services – to identify and prioritize projects that will have the greatest impact. For example, low-income communities and communities of color often experience disproportionately high fatal crash rates and stand to benefit significantly from distributed improvements.

Public engagement is another critical component. Input from residents helps identify community needs and ensures that the proposed solutions address local, real-world challenges. Reaching out in multiple ways, including neighborhood events, virtual information sessions, and mailings, is crucial to including the perspectives of those most impacted. Stakeholder involvement, paired with data-driven strategies, creates transformational improvements that reduce fatalities and boost safety, driving change through collective action and informed decision-making.

Projects in Action

At SEH, we've had the privilege of working with counties and cities nationwide to develop practical, transparent, and equitable action plans. These plans set communities up for timely improvements and future federal funding. Here are two recent project examples of successful SS4A program funding and safety action plans:

Kenosha County, Wisconsin: SEH assisted Kenosha County with securing SS4A funding and then completed a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to help improve safety on all County highways. The team analyzed crash data and used public and stakeholder input to create a priority list of improvement projects to reduce fatal and severe crashes on the County roadway system.

"The SS4A program has been transformative for Kenosha County, WI. It's inspiring to see residents, city leaders, and stakeholders come together with a shared commitment to safety. By using a data-driven approach, we’re not just identifying priority projects – we’re building a roadmap for a safer, more inclusive future for everyone in the County."
– Nate Day, Senior Planner

St. Louis Park, Minnesota: St. Louis Park selected SEH to develop a safety action plan to help prevent/reduce severe and fatal crashes on City streets. The plan emphasizes a Safe System Approach, prioritizes safety for vulnerable road users, and aligns with the City’s efforts to engage with community members who have been disproportionately affected by crashes.

"The support and enthusiasm for the planning process has been such an uplifting experience. The entire community is actively participating, sharing their experiences and concerns, and genuinely appreciating the process. City officials are also thrilled about the data-driven approach and the opportunity to assess the entire City and prioritize projects in a proactive, equitable, and impactful way."
– Chelsea Moore-Ritchie, Senior Transportation Planner

Get Ready!

The next round of SS4A grant opportunities is open now through June 26, 2025. With approximately $2 billion still available for future rounds, now is the time to prepare. Applying requires thoughtful preparation, including outlining your project’s goals, gathering supporting data, and aligning with the Safe System Approach. There are a number of fact sheets and templates to aid in this project. While the process is designed to be accessible, challenges such as limited staff or insufficient data can arise. This is where an experienced partner can make all the difference – verifying requirements are met to maximize your chance of success. 

If you need support developing a funding application or just want to learn more about the SS4A program and how it can enhance roadway safety in your community, reach out to our team – we’re here to help.  

About the Experts:

Nate Day (AICP) is a senior planner with 15+ years of industry experience, specializing in land use, transportation, and environmental planning. He has successfully delivered safety action plans, comprehensive plans, land use studies, bike and pedestrian recommendations, recreation plans, project environmental documentation, and transportation plans. Nate ensures effective community participation is achieved on all projects through public engagement, and he brings extensive experience identifying and leveraging funding sources to assist communities.

Jen Desrude, PE*, is a project manager with over two decades of experience overseeing municipal projects, multimodal improvements, development and permit review, stormwater management, right-of-way management, traffic management, and special assessment processes. She previously served as a city engineer, and she offers extensive experience managing CIP development and implementing projects. Additionally, Jen coordinates funding strategies for a variety of projects.

*Registered Professional Engineer in MN

Chelsea Moore-Ritchie (AICP) is a senior planner with a diverse background in multimodal transportation planning, graphic communication, and community outreach. As a transportation planner, Chelsea has worked with cities, counties, state agencies, and other consulting firms to deliver quality analyses and recommendations on projects ranging from corridor studies and Comprehensive Safety Action Plans, to research and guidance development for local and statewide safety initiatives.