Title
Apply for U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Opportunity for Federal Fiscal Year 2024-25 - Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding (Ordinance S-52114) - Districts 1, 3, 4 & 7
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for, accept and, if awarded, enter into an agreement for disbursement of Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) through the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024-25 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant opportunity. If awarded, the funding will be used to implement projects and strategies in the Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan (RSAP). Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, all funds related to this item. Funding for this grant opportunity is available through the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The total grant funds applied for will not exceed $25 million, and the City's local match would not exceed $6.25 million.
Report
Summary
SS4A is a funding program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law on November 15, 2021. USDOT issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on March 28, 2025, for the SS4A program for the fourth year of the program offering $982,260,494 in funding for FFY 2024-25. The intent of the program is to offer a competitive discretionary grant opportunity to support planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injuries involving all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, personal conveyance and micromobility users, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators.
In September 2022, City Council approved the Street Transportation Department's RSAP, which is one of the key SS4A grant requirements to apply for funding designated under the implementation grants category. Street Transportation Department staff is evaluating the opportunity to submit for an implementation grant with a broader focus that blends a corridor safety improvement along Dunlap Road from 35th to 19th avenues with other safety improvements Citywide at other key High Injury Network (HIN) locations. Staff continues to finalize the details of the implementation grant in collaboration with other key Citywide department initiatives and two potential partners, including the Maricopa County Health Department which has a vested interest in expanding Safe Routes to Schools to nearby impacted elementary schools, and Valleywise Health which has a vested interest in expanding educational safety campaigns for project impacted area drivers. The City expects that both the Maricopa County Health Department and Valleywise Health will have a financial contribution to the grant effort if awarded. We expect a financial contribution up to 20 percent of their scope specific element including safe routes to schools and an educational campaign. Details on their financial commitment will be finalized in a separate agreement following the grant award.
Staff continues to evaluate all the grant criteria to ensure a competitive final grant submittal is achieved with a focus on these grant priorities as defined in the 2025 SS4A NOFO:
- Employing low cost, high-impact strategies that can improve safety over a wide geographic area.
- Ensuring investment in the safety needs of under-served communities, which includes under-served urban communities.
- Incorporating evidence-based projects and strategies and adopt innovative technologies and strategies.
- Demonstrating engagement with a variety of public and private stakeholders.
The City intends to submit an implementation grant application with a total project cost up to $31.25 million, which includes final design, environmental, and construction costs with a goal to improve roadway safety.
The SS4A grant submittal deadline is June 26, 2025.
Financial Impact
The estimated total cost for the project is approximately $31.25 million. The maximum federal participation rate is 80 percent, with a minimum local match of 20 percent of the total eligible project cost. If awarded, the federal match would not exceed $25 million (80 percent) and the City’s costs would be approximately $6.25 million (20 percent) for the local match.
Funding for the local match is available in the Street Transportation Department’s Capital Improvement Program budget. Potential grant funding received is available through the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, from USDOT through the FFY 2024-25 SS4A grant opportunity.
Location
Council Districts: 1, 3, 4 and 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Inger Erickson, Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Street Transportation Department.