Multijurisdictional and Potentially Duplicative Applications

On This Page

• Overview
• Multijurisdictional Applications
• Multijurisdictional Applications for Planning and Demonstration Grants
• Multijurisdictional Applications for Implementation Grants
• Potentially Duplicative Applications
• Coordination with Other Entities
• Partnerships During Post-Award Administration
• Multijurisdictional and Duplicative Applicant Scenarios
  • Planning and Demonstration Grant Scenarios
  • Implementation Grant Scenarios

Overview

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 (referred to as “Action Plans”) and their subsequent implementation. 

This page describes how to proceed if you are applying as a multijurisdictional group of entities and how the SS4A program will address overlapping and potentially duplicative applications.

See Eligible Applicants for SS4A for more information on eligibility.

Multijurisdictional Applications

A multijurisdictional group of entities may apply for an SS4A grant.

For applications submitted by a multijurisdictional group of entities, the application should identify a lead applicant as the primary point of contact. Lead applicants are expected to be the entity primarily involved with administering the grant should an applicant receive an award on behalf of a multijurisdictional group.

SS4A has no restrictions on rural and urban jurisdictions combining as a multijurisdictional group; the Department will consider multijurisdictional applications that combine rural and urban jurisdictions to be urban applicants.

Multijurisdictional Applications for Planning and Demonstration Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) permits multijurisdictional partnerships for Planning and Demonstration Grants. Applicants who have never received Federal funding and can apply with entities experienced in executing USDOT grants may find it beneficial to do so. It may be appropriate for eligible MPOs, transit agencies, or larger communities to assume the role of lead applicant to support subdivisions of a State such as cities, towns, and counties with smaller populations within their region. 

In general, an MPO, county, or other regional entity applying for a Planning and Demonstration Grant will be assumed to be developing the plan for the entire area unless the application notes otherwise. The application does not need to list each individual municipality within the jurisdiction on the list of applicants. However, if the regional entity is applying on behalf of a select subset of municipalities to conduct a plan for a smaller area within the region, or to help facilitate the municipalities in conducting their own plans, then it would be appropriate to specify each of the municipalities as a multijurisdictional group of applicants. 

USDOT expects that regionally focused Action Plans developed through SS4A grants will include sufficient detail and analysis to allow individual entities within that regional plan to apply for Implementation Grants in later funding rounds as standalone applicants.

Multijurisdictional Applications for Implementation Grants

The situations in which a multijurisdictional application for an Implementation Grant would be beneficial are different than for Planning and Demonstration Grants.

Multijurisdictional applications for Implementation Grants may be appropriate in situations such as: 

• Corridor and other project and strategy safety advancements that provide benefits to multiple communities;
• Multiple jurisdictions have ownership over the roadways where projects and strategies are to be executed; 
• Multiple jurisdictions combine expertise to complete the projects and strategies; and
• Multiple jurisdictions combine experience with administering Federal grant requirements. 

MPOs or other regional entities applying for a series of implementation projects and strategies across multiple jurisdictions should ensure that each project and/or strategy proposed is: 

• Referenced in an existing Action Plan;
• Clearly connected to an identified safety concern; and
• An appropriate response to the identified safety concern that, to the extent practicable, is evidence-based and/or effective. 

Potentially Duplicative Applications

While USDOT encourages applications from all eligible applicants, it wants to ensure that it is not funding multiple requests covering the same work or same scope.

An application may be deemed duplicative if requesting funds to either develop a new Action Plan when another jurisdiction is already preparing an Action Plan in the same area using FY22 or FY23 SS4A funding or is developing a new Action Plan in the same area as another FY24 application.

USDOT will identify duplicative requests and assess them for merit within the context of other jurisdictions and their planning and demonstration activities.

The screening for potentially duplicative applications relates specifically to applications for new Action Plans. USDOT encourages complementary but distinctive activities, including but not limited to demonstration activities that will help inform the development of an Action Plan.

Implementation Grant and Action Plan Grant award recipients that received an FY22 or FY23 award may apply for funding in FY24 to conduct supplemental planning and demonstration activities, as well as to implement projects and strategies (if applicable).

Coordination with Other Entities

Applicants are expected to coordinate with other entities (regardless of whether they are eligible applicants) to successfully implement their funded activities. For example, it may be appropriate to coordinate with entities such as the State DOT, local nonprofit organizations, or neighboring jurisdictions that may have roadway ownership or maintenance responsibilities.

While the NOFO does not specifically require applicants to list partners, USDOT recommends that the narrative reference appropriate partners if their participation is critical to the success of the project.

Implementation Grant applicants performing projects and strategies on a roadway that they do not own, maintain, or have safety responsibilities over must include, at a minimum, a letter of intent from the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction (e.g., a letter of intent from the State if it is a State-owned road). If the application is awarded, a more formal agreement between the applicant and other relevant party would need to be in place prior to USDOT obligating funding to the grant award.

Any Memorandum of Understanding or other agreement required to successfully execute a grant agreement must be in place prior to USDOT signing a Planning and Demonstration Grant or an Implementation Grant agreement. 

Partnerships During Post-Award Administration

SS4A grant agreements are directly between the lead applicant and USDOT.

In the case of multijurisdictional applications, the lead applicant is expected to manage all funding and administrative requirements.

A recipient may establish an arrangement separate from the USDOT grant agreement with a State DOT or another State or local governmental entity so long as that arrangement complies with State and local law. Under 2 CFR § 200.331, the recipient must determine whether such arrangement is contractual, such as an interagency agreement, or a subgrant.

As provided at 2 CFR § 200.300(b), the recipient is responsible for compliance with all Federal requirements applicable to the award.

The SS4A award recipient would retain responsibility for ensuring completion of the grant activities and for compliance with the terms of the grant award and Federal requirements. Applicants may not serve as a pass through for a State DOT to take full responsibility over the grant agreement, and States will not have direct funding relationships with USDOT through the SS4A program.

Multijurisdictional and Duplicative Applicant Scenarios

The tables below summarize various scenarios and SS4A applicant options for local governments considering applying for their own grant versus submitting a multijurisdictional application with other local and/or regional entities, such as an MPO, council of governments (COG), or regional planning commission (RPC).

Planning and Demonstration Grant Scenarios

Implementation Grant Scenarios