SS4A Applicant Eligibility

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program is focused on improving roadway safety for all users by reducing and eliminating serious injury and fatal crashes through comprehensive safety action plans (Action Plans) and their subsequent implementation.

To learn more about eligibility requirements for SS4A and to determine if you can apply, please consider the following:

Eligible Applicants

The following groups of applicants are eligible for the SS4A grant program:

• A political subdivision of a State or territory, defined in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) as a unit of government created under the authority of State law. This includes cities, towns, counties, special districts, certain transit agencies, and similar units of local government created under State law.
• A federally recognized Tribal government.
• Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).
• A multijurisdictional group of entities from the ones described above (select one lead applicant from group).

Additional Information about Applicant Eligibility

The SS4A program has received numerous questions about applicant eligibility. The categories below address some of these specific questions.

Rural Communities

Rural communities are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Regional Planning Commissions and Councils of Governments

A regional planning commission or council of governments whose members are counties or cities would be eligible applicants, as counties and cities are political subdivisions of a State. Multijurisdictional entities comprised of eligible applicants such as cities and counties are also eligible applicants.

Transit Agencies

Transit districts, authorities, or public benefit corporations that are not operated directly by the State DOT are eligible. This includes transit authorities operated by political subdivisions of a State.

Tribal Consortiums

Tribal consortiums are eligible and encouraged to apply. One of the program’s priorities is ensuring equitable investment in the safety needs of underserved communities, which includes any Tribal land, as discussed in the NOFO.

Universities, School Districts, and Public Health Entities

A State university, school district, or local public health agency is an eligible applicant if it is a political subdivision of a State, as defined above.

Eligibility Requirements

Planning and Demonstration Grants

Eligibility requirements to apply specifically for a Planning and Demonstration Grant depend on the activities incorporated in the application, which can include developing an Action Plan, conducting supplemental planning, and/or carrying out demonstration activities.

More specifically:

• Applicants applying to develop a new Action Plan (either with or without additional supplemental planning and/or demonstration projects) must meet the eligibility requirements as described above and in the NOFO.
• Applicants applying to conduct only supplemental planning and/or demonstration projects must meet the same requirements AND either have an eligible Action Plan in place based on the Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet or be in the process of developing a comprehensive safety action plan as described in Table 1 of the NOFO. Demonstration projects must inform the development of, or an update to, an eligible Action Plan.

Implementation Grants

Eligibility requirements to apply specifically for an Implementation Grant:

• Must be an eligible applicant with an eligible Action Plan in place based on the Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet AND have at least one of the following:
  • Ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities over a roadway network.
  • Safety responsibilities that affect roadways.
  • An agreement from the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction.

Defining Applicant Jurisdiction

For the purposes of the SS4A Notice of Funding Opportunity, an applicant’s jurisdiction is defined as the U.S. Census tracts where the applicant operates or performs their safety responsibilities.

For purposes of the percent population in underserved communities calculation and the fatality rate per 100,000 persons calculation, please include the entire Census tracts that are partially located in the jurisdiction. Please refer to the Calculating Average Annual Fatality Rate for SS4A (FARS instructions) and Calculating Percentage of Population in Underserved Communities for SS4A fact sheets for more information on how to perform these calculations.

Ineligible Applicants

The following applicants are ineligible for the SS4A grant program:

• State-level agencies (e.g., State Departments of Transportation).
• Political subdivisions not created under the authority of State law.
• Non-profit organizations and private-sector entities.
• All other organizations or entities not listed under eligible applicants.

State Departments of Transportation (DOT), State Highway Administrations, and State Highway Safety Offices

State DOTs, State Highway Administrations, and State Highway Safety Offices are not eligible. However, eligible applicants are encouraged to partner with State entities, as appropriate.

Consultants and Private-Sector Agencies

Consultants and private-sector agencies are not eligible to be the applicant for the SS4A program. However, eligible applicants may employ consultant services to help prepare applications and/or as part of meeting the needs of the grant.

Please note that funds spent prior to the execution of a grant agreement between the grant recipient and USDOT are not eligible for reimbursement or to count toward local match under the grant.