From Our Partners

by Michelle Martin, Deputy Director, Office of Planning and Capital Programming, Maryland Department of Transportation, and Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner 

On March 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the opening of the $1.17 billion FY23 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. Applications are due to USDOT on July 10^th and the funding opportunity announcement is now available.  

Enacted in November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program, which supports local initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets, commonly referred to as “Vision Zero” or “Toward Zero Deaths” initiatives. The SS4A program supports USDOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy and the goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on our nation’s roadways. (Read the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) SS4A Fact Sheet.)

The SS4A Grant Program funds two categories of grants — planning and demonstration grants for roadway or bicycle-pedestrian safety action plans and pilot projects, and implementation grants for roadway and bicycle-pedestrian safety projects that are identified on USDOT-approved safety plans. SS4A funds may be used to: 

• Develop a comprehensive safety action plan 
• Conduct planning, design, and development activities for projects and strategies identified in a comprehensive safety action plan or 
• Carry out projects and strategies identified in a comprehensive safety action plan  

The SS4A grant demonstration opportunities include connected and automated vehicle (CAV) related projects, as the adoption of CAV technologies may affect pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Maryland is actively implementing a wide variety of CAV technologies (see our article in the January 2023 edition Planning Practice Monthly).  Additionally, integrating CAV into existing transportation systems may involve technologies not yet implemented in a community (e.g., variable speed limits, technology for adaptive signal timing, adaptive lighting, intelligent transportation systems, and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology). 

All political subdivisions in Maryland, as well as Metropolitan Planning Organizations, are eligible for SS4A funding. For more information on evaluation criteria and award amounts, visit the US DOT SS4A webpage.  

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) continues to share and coordinate with its partners on grant opportunities to improve chances for success. The MDOT Federal Discretionary Grants Website and monthly newsletter highlight news, awarded projects, and open federal and state opportunities and resources, including webinars and opportunities to request letters of support.  

To sign up, or learn more, visit MDOT’s federal grant information website.