Safe Streets 4 All

On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which included establishing the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program with an appropriation of $5 Billion dollars over 5 years (2022-2026). The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The program allows qualifying agencies to apply for funding for preparation of an Action Plan providing a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality, Tribe, or region. 

The Action Plan is the foundation for seeking further federal SS4A implementation funding.  The second grant available within this program is an Implementation Plan Grant, which funds execution of projects and strategies addressing roadway safety problems as identified in the Action Plan, including infrastructure. In fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a total of $800 million dollars in over 500 communities through the first round of SS4A funding.

In September of 2022, City staff submitted an application for the Action Plan portion of the grant program. In January of 2023, the City was awarded $200,000 in federal funding to complete an Action Plan. One of the primary goals of Monticello’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan will be to help identify roadway improvements to increase multi-modal transportation safety with the goal of eliminating serious injury and fatality accidents in Monticello. 

The completed action plan is anticipated to include the following key pieces, among others:

• Community commitment to Safe Streets including stakeholder and public engagement, with an emphasis on equity considerations and multi-modal solutions.
• Data collection and review, including a summary of existing plans, programs, and policies. 
• Crash data review, including an analysis of regional trends, contributing factors, and patterns of transportation-related accidents in the community.
• Progress and communication tools, including graphics and visualizations that illustrate safety countermeasures, context-sensitive solutions, and performance measurement tracking.
• Prioritized implementation plan for safety measures including:

• Policies, programs, innovative practices, and low-cost/high-impact strategies
• Specific construction projects including scope and recommended timeline; projects will also be identified for funding opportunity through the Safe Streets infrastructure program.

• Prioritized SS4A and Department of Transportation’s overall mission, including:

• Promote safety to prevent death and serious injuries on public roadways.
• Employ low-cost, high impact strategies that can improve safety over a wide geographic area.
• Ensure equitable investment in the safety needs of underserved communities, which includes both underserved urban and rural communities.
• Incorporate evidence-based projects and strategies and adopt innovative technologies and strategies.
• Demonstrate engagement with a variety of public and private stakeholders; and

Align with the Department’s mission and Strategic Goals such as safety, climate change and sustainability; equity and Justice; and workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation.

The plan will include safety analysis and public engagement with members of the community, including an emphasis on under-represented users of our transportation network. The plan will also identify policy and process changes the City can take with an emphasis on strategies and projects that enhance safety throughout the City in an equitable manner. 

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

• Stop by the Indoor Farmers Market at the Monticello Community Center on December 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • We will be hosting an open house for the public to provide feedback and thoughts on the project to further benefit the creation of the Action Plan.
• Take our online survey! Provide your feedback and insight on the safety Monticello's current transportation system and where improvements can be made: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MonticelloCSAP

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on the program itself, please visit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program Page here: Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program | US Department of Transportation