Eligible Uses of SS4A Funding

On This Page

• General Eligibility Information
• Two SS4A Grant Types
• Prerequisites for Funding

General Eligibility Information

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 the development, refinement, and subsequent implementation of comprehensive safety action plans (referred to as “Action Plans”).

The program provides funding to develop tools to help strengthen a community’s approach to roadway safety and save lives.

Projects and activities that do not have a connection to roadway safety are not eligible for SS4A funding.

Two SS4A Grant Types

The SS4A Notice of Funding Opportunity provides funding for two types of grants: Planning and Demonstration Grants and Implementation Grants, which are discussed below under “Prerequisites for Funding.”

If an applicant is eligible for both a Planning and Demonstration Grant and an Implementation Grant, the applicant may submit only one application—either for a Planning and Demonstration Grant or an Implementation Grant but not for both.

Awardees Can Reapply in Future Years

Applicants who have already received an SS4A grant award may apply again for an additional SS4A award in future years.

For example, applicants who received Planning and Demonstration Grants or Implementation Grants in FY22 or FY23 may apply for additional SS4A funding for new activities in FY24, FY25, and/or FY26.

USDOT may prioritize Implementation Grant applicants and jurisdictions that did not receive an SS4A Implementation Grant in previous funding rounds over applicants that did receive an FY22 or FY23 Implementation Grant award.

Both Grants Allow Supplemental Planning and Demonstration

Applicants may—and are encouraged to—include supplemental planning and demonstration activities to support an Action Plan within either grant type.

Prerequisites for Funding

Planning and Demonstration Grants

For a Planning and Demonstration Grant, eligible activities include the following:

1. Developing, updating, or completing an Action Plan.
2. Conducting supplemental safety planning to complete or enhance an Action Plan.
3. Carrying out demonstration activities to inform Action Plan development or updates.

Eligibility requirements for a Planning and Demonstration Grant depend on which of the above three activities are incorporated in the application. For details on eligible activities, see the following sections:

• Eligible Action Plan Activities
• Eligible Supplemental Planning Activities
• Eligible Demonstration Activities

Conditions

To apply for an SS4A Planning and Demonstration Grant, an applicant must meet the following conditions:

• Applicants applying to develop a new Action Plan (either with or without additional supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities) must
  • Be an eligible applicant and
  • Meet the eligibility requirements as described in the NOFO.
• Applicants applying to conduct only supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities must meet the same above conditions and
  • Have an eligible Action Plan in place based on the Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet or
  • Be in the process of developing an Action Plan as described in Table 1 of the NOFO or
  • Be within the geographic boundaries of another jurisdiction developing an Action Plan (e.g., a city within a county developing an Action Plan).
• Demonstration activities and supplemental planning must inform the development of, or an update to, an eligible Action Plan.

Implementation Grants

Implementation Grant activities must include implementing roadway safety strategies and projects identified in an eligible, complete Action Plan.

Projects and strategies must be infrastructural, behavioral, and/or operational activities identified in an Action Plan and must be directly related to addressing the safety problem(s) identified in the Action Plan.

Implementation Grants may also include funding requests for supplemental planning and demonstration activities that inform an Action Plan (Activity A). In addition, Implementation Grants may fund project-level planning, design, and development connected to the implementation of projects and strategies (Activity B).

For details on eligible Implementation Grant activities, see the following sections:

• Eligible Implementation Grant Activities
• Eligible Supplemental Planning Activities
• Eligible Demonstration Activities

Conditions

To apply for an SS4A Implementation Grant, an applicant must meet the following conditions:

• 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:
  1. Ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities over a roadway network.
  2. Safety responsibilities that affect roadways.
  3. An agreement from the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction.

New in FY24, potential Implementation Grant applicants have the option to submit their Action Plan(s) and a Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet for pre-application review so that USDOT may affirm the eligibility to apply for an Implementation Grant. For more information, see SS4A Pre-Application Action Plan Review.