FY25 SS4A NOFO Final.pdf

BILLING CODE 4910-9X

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

Docket Number: DOT-OST-2025-0050

USDOT FY25 Safe Streets and Roads for All Funding

ISSUED: March 28, 2025

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or the Department)

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Assistance Listing # 20.939

Each section of this Notice of Funding Opportunity contains information and instructions relevant to the application process for SS4A grants, and all applicants should read this notice in its entirety to have the information they need to submit eligible and competitive applications.

Section Content A Basic Information B Definitions C Eligibility Information D Program Description E Federal Award Information F Submission Requirements and Deadlines G Application Review Information H Federal Award Notices I Post-Award Requirements and Administration J Other Information

A. Basic Information

Basic Information: Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Federal Agency Name

Office of the Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation

Funding Opportunity Number

DOT-SS4A-FY25-01 (Grants.gov)

Assistance Listing Number

20.939

Executive Summary

Funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 SS4A grant program are to be awarded on a competitive basis to support planning, infrastructure, and behavioral and operational initiatives to prevent fatalities and serious injuries on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators.

Objective The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants.

Eligible Applicants Metropolitan planning organizations;

Political subdivisions of a State or territory (e.g., cities, towns, counties);

Federally recognized Tribal governments; and

A multijurisdictional group of entities described in any of the aforementioned three types of entities.

Eligible Project Types

Develop a comprehensive safety action plan (Action Plan).

Conduct supplemental safety planning to enhance an Action Plan.

Carry out demonstration activities to inform the development of, or an update to, an Action Plan.

Perform planning, design, and development activities for projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan.

Implement projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan that address roadway safety problems.

Basic Information: Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Funding Details This Notice makes available up to $982,260,494 for FY 2025 grants:

$580,000,000 is available for Implementation Grants o Expected number of awards: 40 to 70 o Expected funding range: $2,500,000 to $25,000,000

$402,260,494 is available for Planning and Demonstration Grants o Expected number of awards: 400 to 700 o Expected funding range: $100,000 to $5,000,000

The Department reserves the right to make more, or fewer, awards. USDOT reserves the discretion to alter minimum and maximum award sizes upon receiving the full pool of applications and assessing the needs of the program in relation to the SS4A grant priorities in Section D.3. DOT may increase the overall amount of funding if additional funds become available.

Funding Restrictions

Not more than 15 percent of the $1 billion in FY 2025 funds made available to carry out the SS4A program may be awarded to eligible applicants in a single State.1

A minimum of 40 percent of the total funds made available in FY 2025 must be awarded for developing an Action Plan, including supplemental planning to update an existing Action Plan, or demonstration activities to inform the development or update of an Action Plan. The 40 percent set-aside for FY 2025 funding may change if Congress enacts applicable legislation before awards are announced.

Key Dates Planning and Demonstration Grant and Implementation Grant applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM (EDT) on June 26, 2025.

Technical questions must be submitted by 5:00 PM (EDT) on May 29, 2025.

Pre-application eligibility review requests must be submitted for Implementation Grants by 5:00 PM (EDT) on May 9, 2025.

Application Links Applications must be submitted via Valid Eval, an online submission proposal system used by USDOT

Implementation Grant Application:

https://usg.valideval.com/teams/usdot_ss4a_2025_implementation/signup

Planning and Demonstration Grant Application:

https://usg.valideval.com/teams/usdot_ss4a_2025_planning_demo/signup

Customer support for Valid Eval can be reached at support@valideval.com.

Agency Contact Information

Email: SS4A@dot.gov Website: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A DOT will regularly post answers to common questions and requests for clarification, as well as schedule information regarding webinars providing additional guidance.

1 Funding for Tribal lands will be treated as their own State and will not count toward a State’s 15% limit.

1. Changes in the FY 2025 NOFO

The FY 2025 NOFO substantively differs from the FY 2024 NOFO in the following ways:

The NOFO includes one application deadline of June 26, 2025.

Underserved Community will use the same definition as Areas of Persistent Poverty for purposes of this NOFO. See Section B for more information.

The maximum expected award for Planning and Demonstration Grants changed from

$10,000,000 to $5,000,000.

Section C.3.iii contains updated Action Plan requirements for Planning and

Demonstration Grant applicants requesting funds to conduct supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities only.

Section C.4.i states that applicants may use no more than three plans to meet the Action

Plan requirement.

Section C.4.i.b contains updated Action Plan requirements for Implementation Grant award recipients.

Section D.2.i Table 1: Action Plan Components has been updated.

Section G.1.ii contains updated Implementation Grant selection criteria.

References to rescinded Executive Orders and priorities from the previous administration have been removed.

B. Definitions

Term Definition

Applicant’s Jurisdiction(s)

The U.S. Census tract(s) where the applicant operates or performs their safety responsibilities. If an applicant is seeking funding for multiple jurisdictions, they should include all relevant Census tracts for the jurisdictions covered by the application.

Complete Streets Standards or policies that ensure the safe and adequate accommodation of all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, children, older individuals, individuals with disabilities, motorists, and freight vehicles.1F

Comprehensive Safety Action Plan

A comprehensive safety action plan (referred to as an “Action Plan”) is a plan to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality or region or on Tribal land. This can be either an Action Plan developed with a Planning and Demonstration Grant, or a previously developed plan (e.g., a Vision Zero plan or similar plan) that is substantially similar to and meets the eligibility requirements of an Action Plan. See Table 1 for a detailed description.

Fatal or Serious Injury Crash

A fatal or serious injury crash involves a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public. To be considered a motor vehicle related fatal injury, the crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must result in the death of a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant within 30 days of the crash. This definition aligns with the definition of a fatal crash in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

High-Injury Network Identifies the highest concentrations of motor vehicle related crashes resulting in serious injuries and fatalities within a given roadway network or jurisdiction.

Micromobility Any small, low-speed, human- or electric-powered transportation device, including bicycles, scooters, electric-assist bicycles, electric scooters (e-scooters), and other small, lightweight, wheeled conveyances.3

2 The definition is in IIJA Section 11206 (a) 3 Source: FHWA, Public Roads Magazine, Spring 2021, “Micromobility: A Travel Innovation.” Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-21-003.

Personal Conveyance A personal conveyance is a device, other than a transport device, used by a pedestrian for personal mobility assistance or recreation. These devices can be motorized or human powered, but not propelled by pedaling (e.g., a wheelchair).4

Political Subdivision of a State

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. A transit district, authority, or public benefit corporation is eligible if it was created under State law, including transit authorities operated by political subdivisions of a State.

Rural For the purposes of this NOFO, jurisdictions outside an Urban Area (UA) or located within UAs with populations fewer than 200,000 will be considered rural. Lists of UAs are available on the U.S. Census Bureau website at https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ua/2020_Census_ua_list_all.xlsx

Safe System Approach

A guiding principle to address the safety of all road users. It involves a paradigm shift to improve safety culture, increase collaboration across all safety stakeholders, and refocus transportation system design and operation on anticipating human mistakes and lessening impact forces to reduce crash severity and save lives.5 Safe System Approach includes five elements: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care.

Areas of Persistent Poverty and Underserved Community

Areas of Persistent Poverty (APP)6 are defined as:

Any county that has consistently had greater than or equal to 20 percent of the population living in poverty during the 30-year period preceding November 15, 2021, as measured by the 1990 and 2000 decennial census and the most recent annual Small Area Income Poverty Estimates as estimated by the Bureau of the Census

Any census tract with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent as measured by the 2014 – 2018 5-year data series available from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census

Any territory or possession of the United States

Underserved Community will use the same definition as APP for purposes of this NOFO.

4 https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813251. See page 127 for the full definition as defined in the 2020 FARS/CRSS Coding and Validation Manual.

5https://highways.dot.gov/safety/zero-deaths Zero Deaths and Safe System | FHWA 6 This definition is in 49 U.S.C. 6702(a)(1).

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for SS4A grants are:

a metropolitan planning organization (MPO);

a political subdivision of a State or territory;

a federally recognized Tribal government; and a multijurisdictional group of entities made up of any of the aforementioned three types of entities.

A multijurisdictional group of entities described in 4) should identify a lead applicant as the primary point of contact. Non-profits are not eligible applicants unless created under State law with roadway safety and/or planning responsibilities equivalent to a political subdivision of a

State. States are not eligible applicants.

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

SS4A award recipients from all previous years are eligible to apply in FY 2025.

i. Additional Eligibility Requirements for Implementation Grant Applicants

An eligible applicant for an Implementation Grant must also meet at least one of the following conditions:

have ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities over a roadway network;

have safety responsibilities that affect roadways; or have agreement from the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction.

2. Number of Applications

Eligible applicants may submit one application only to the FY25 funding opportunity. If multiple applications are received from the same political subdivision of a State and/or applicant, the last application submitted will be reviewed. If an applicant is eligible for both a Planning and

Demonstration Grant and an Implementation Grant, the applicant must choose between applying for a Planning and Demonstration Grant or an Implementation Grant.

Implementation Grant applicants may request funds to bundle supplemental planning and demonstration activities as described in Section D.2.i to update an Action Plan, with funds to implement projects and strategies.

3. Planning and Demonstration Grant Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements are contingent on whether an applicant is requesting funds to develop a new Action Plan, conduct supplemental planning to update an existing Action Plan, and/or carry out demonstration activities to inform the development of or update to an Action Plan. Any applicant that meets the eligibility requirements may apply for a Planning and Demonstration

Grant to develop an Action Plan.

i. Developing an Action Plan

Applicants applying to develop an Action Plan may also bundle supplemental planning and demonstration activities into their funding request. Applicants with an existing Action Plan may also apply to update their Action Plan. The development of an Action Plan must include all relevant road users and be at a broad, systemic geographic level (i.e., the eligible applicant’s entire jurisdiction, not a few road segments within a jurisdiction). Corridor-level or site-specific studies are considered to be supplemental planning and not an Action Plan.

ii. Supplemental Planning and Demonstration Activities

If a higher-level jurisdiction (e.g., an MPO or county would be a higher-level jurisdiction for a city or town) has an eligible and finalized Action Plan, or is in the process of completing or updating an SS4A funded Action Plan from a previous grant round, an eligible applicant can apply for supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities without its own plan only if: 1) the geographic boundaries of the higher-level jurisdiction’s Action Plan cover the eligible applicant’s jurisdiction; 2) the proposed activities are coordinated with the higher-level jurisdiction and the application demonstrates such coordination; and 3) the activities will inform the Action Plan of the higher-level jurisdiction. An application may be deemed duplicative, and therefore ineligible, if it requests funds to develop a new Action Plan when another jurisdiction is already preparing an Action Plan in the same area using SS4A funding and/or it requests funds to develop a new Action Plan in the same area as another FY25 application. Duplicative funding requests to develop a new Action Plan will be identified and assessed for merit within the context of other jurisdictions and their planning activities and will result in an eligibility determination.

The Department encourages complementary but distinctive activities, including but not limited to demonstration activities that will help inform the development of an Action Plan.

iii. Action Plan Requirement

Applicants applying to conduct supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities only, without developing or updating an Action Plan must either a) have an existing Action Plan, which is demonstrated through meeting the Action Plan requirements outlined in the Self-

Certification Eligibility Worksheet and described in Table 1: Action Plan Components, b) have received SS4A funding in a previous round to develop or update an Action Plan and are in the process of completing or updating an Action Plan, as described in Table 1: Action Plan

Components, or c) use a higher-level jurisdiction’s Action Plan as described above in Section

C.3.ii.

4. Implementation Grant Eligibility Requirements

i. Action Plan Requirement

To apply for an Implementation Grant, the applicant must certify that they have an existing plan that is substantially similar to an Action Plan as defined in Section D.2.i.a and Table 1: Action

Plan Components and has been finalized and/or last updated between 2020 and June 26, 2025.

The components required for an existing plan to be substantially similar to an Action Plan may be found in up to three plans (e.g., a regional transportation safety plan and a local Vision Zero plan may be used together to meet all component requirements).

If another jurisdiction (e.g., an MPO or county) has an existing plan in place that meets Action

Plan eligibility requirements, an eligible applicant covered within the Action Plan’s geographic boundaries could apply without its own plan as long as the existing plan is focused, at least in part, on the roadway network within the applicant’s jurisdiction, the plans include the applicant’s projects and strategies, and all other eligibility requirements are met.

If an applicant does not have an existing Action Plan or is not located in a jurisdiction which has an existing Action Plan, they should apply for a Planning and Demonstration Grant to develop one. They should NOT apply for an Implementation Grant.

The plan, or a combination of up to three plans, must be uploaded as an attachment to the application or provided as web links to publicly available sites. Applicants should use the Self-

Certification Eligibility Worksheet to determine eligibility and upload the completed worksheet with their application.7

a. Ineligible Plans

State-level Action Plans (e.g., a Strategic Highway Safety Plan required under 23 U.S.C. § 148, State Highway Safety Plans required under 23 U.S.C. § 402, Commercial Vehicle Safety Plans required under 49 U.S.C. § 31102) as well as Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans required under 49 U.S.C. § 5329 cannot be used as an established plan to apply for an

Implementation Grant.

b. Alignment With All Action Plan Components

Implementation Grant applicants who meet any of the following conditions must update their

Action Plan during the period of performance for the grant agreement to align with all Action

Plan components in Table 1: Action Plan Components as a condition of receiving SS4A funds:

Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet areas that include a “no” response; or

Safety focus in the qualifying Action Plan does not include all road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicle users.

Implementation Grant applicants are encouraged to request supplemental planning funding in their application to complete any missing components of an existing plan but may choose to complete such activities without Federal funding.

7 https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/self-certification-worksheet.

5. Cost Sharing or Matching

The Federal share of an SS4A grant may not exceed 80 percent of total eligible SS4A project costs. Recipients are required to contribute a local matching share of no less than 20 percent of total eligible project costs. Unless otherwise authorized by statute, all matching contributions must be from non-Federal sources. Applicants that intend to combine SS4A funds with Federal-

Aid funds provided under Title 23 U.S.C. could experience a significant delay in programming funding and executing a grant agreement.

i. Exceptions to Non-Federal Match Requirements

Tribal Transportation Program and Tribal Transportation Program Safety Funds are

Federal funding programs, and these programs may be used as non-Federal match.

Matching funds may include funding from the applicant, or other eligible non-Federal sources.

When the required local match is less than $200,000, SS4A will apply a 100-percent

Federal share and waive local match requirements for eligible applicants located in the

U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern

Mariana Islands per Public Law 96-205, Title VI, Section 601, as amended and consistent with OMB Controller Alert-23-04, Waiving Matching Fund Requirements for Insular

Areas.

ii. Types of Non-Federal Match

In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.306, grant recipients may use in-kind or cash contributions toward local match requirements so long as those contributions meet the requirements under 2

CFR § 200.306(b). Any in-kind contributions used to fulfill the cost-share requirement for both

Planning and Demonstration Grants and Implementation Grants must:

Be in accordance with the cost principles in 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E;

Include documented evidence of completion within the period of performance; and

Support the execution of the eligible activities in Section D.4.

Additional information about match requirements and costs that can be considered match are available at https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A.

D. Program Description

1. Overview

Section 24112 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117–58, November 15, 2021; referred to as “IIJA”) authorized and appropriated $1 billion to be awarded by the

Department of Transportation for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Safe Streets and Roads for All

(SS4A) grant program. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) solicits applications for activities to be funded under the SS4A grant program.

The purpose of SS4A grants is to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries through the development of Action Plans and refinement and implementation focused on all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators. The Comprehensive Safety

Action Plan includes strategies to implement the Safe System Approach for safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speed, safe roads, and post-crash care8. The program provides funding to develop tools to strengthen a community’s approach to roadway safety and save lives and is designed to meet the needs of local, Tribal, and regional communities that differ dramatically in size, location, and experience administering Federal funding.

2. Grant Options and Deliverables

The SS4A program provides funding for two main types of grants: Planning and

Demonstration Grants for Action Plans, including supplemental safety planning, and/or safety demonstration activities; and Implementation Grants. Planning and Demonstration Grants are used to develop, complete, or supplement an Action Plan, as well as carry out demonstration activities that inform an Action Plan. Implementation Grants are used to implement strategies or projects that are consistent with an existing Action Plan and may also bundle funding requests for supplemental planning and demonstration activities that inform the Action Plan.

i. Planning and Demonstration Grants

Planning and Demonstration Grants have three different types of eligible activities:

a) Develop an Action Plan;

b) Conduct supplemental safety planning to enhance an Action Plan; and

c) Carry out demonstration activities to inform the development of, or an update to, an

Action Plan.

Any of the three different types of activities under Planning and Demonstration Grants can be included in one application, or an applicant may choose to request funding for only one of the

8 https://www.ems.gov/issues/ems-highway-safety-and-post-crash-care/ activities. The development of, or updates to, an Action Plan must be the intended end result of each supplemental planning and demonstration activity. Further information on which activities can be bundled together are described in Section D.2.i.

a. Action Plan

An Action Plan is the foundation of the SS4A grant program and supports the implementation of projects and strategies that will help achieve local data-driven transportation safety goals. The goal of an Action Plan is to develop a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality, region, or on Tribal Lands. Grants for Action Plans provide

Federal funds to eligible applicants to develop, complete, or enhance an Action Plan.

The primary deliverable is a publicly available Action Plan. For the purposes of the SS4A grant program, an Action Plan includes the components in Table 1. DOT considers the process of developing an Action Plan to be critical for success, and the components reflect a process-oriented set of activities. For applications involving a multi-jurisdictional group, applicants may propose the development of a single Action Plan covering all jurisdictions, several plans for individual jurisdictions, or a system to administer sub-awards to entities within its jurisdiction.

Table 1: Action Plan Components

Component Description Leadership Commitment and Goal Setting

An official public commitment (e.g., resolution, policy, ordinance) by a high-ranking official and/or governing body (e.g., Mayor, City Council, Tribal Council, metropolitan planning organization [MPO] Policy Board) to an eventual goal of zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries. The commitment must include a goal and timeline for eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries achieved through one, or both, of the following:

(1) the target date for achieving zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries, OR

(2) a percentage reduction of roadway fatalities and serious injuries by a specific date with an eventual goal of eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

Component Description Planning Structure A committee, task force, implementation group, or similar body charged with oversight of the Action Plan development, implementation, and monitoring.

Safety Analysis Analysis of existing conditions and historical trends that provides a baseline level of crashes involving fatalities and serious injuries across a jurisdiction, locality, Tribe, or region. Includes an analysis of crash locations and crash severity, as well as contributing factors and crash types by relevant road users (motorists, pedestrians, transit users, etc.). Analysis of systemic and specific safety needs is also performed, as needed (e.g., high-risk road features, specific safety needs of relevant road users, analysis of the built environment, demographics, and structural issues). To the extent practical, the analysis should include all roadways within the jurisdiction, without regard to ownership. Based on the analysis performed, a geospatial identification of higher-risk locations is developed (a high-injury network or equivalent).

Engagement and Collaboration

Robust engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and community groups, that allows for both community representation and feedback. Information received from engagement and collaboration is analyzed and incorporated into the Action Plan. Overlapping jurisdictions are included in the process. Plans and processes are coordinated and aligned with other governmental plans and planning processes to the extent practicable.

Policy and Process Changes

Assessment of current local policies, plans, guidelines, and/or standards (e.g., manuals) to identify opportunities to improve how processes prioritize transportation safety. The Action Plan discusses implementation through the adoption of revised or new local policies, guidelines, and/or standards, as appropriate.

Strategy and Project Selections

Identification of a comprehensive set of projects and strategies informed by data, the best available evidence and noteworthy practices, and stakeholder input that will address the safety problems described in the Action Plan. These strategies and countermeasures focus on a Safe System Approach and effective interventions and consider multidisciplinary activities. To the extent practicable, data limitations are identified and mitigated.

Once identified, the projects and strategies are prioritized in a list that provides time ranges for when the strategies and countermeasures are expected to be deployed (e.g., short-, mid-, and long-term timeframes). The list should include specific projects and strategies, or descriptions of programs of projects and strategies, and explain prioritization criteria used. The list should contain interventions focused on infrastructure and behavioral and/or operational safety.

b. Supplemental Planning Activities

Supplemental planning activities support or enhance an existing Action Plan. Examples of eligible supplemental planning activities are provided at https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/planning-and-demonstration-activities.

The final deliverable for supplemental planning is a written product that connects to, and enhances, an Action Plan. Final products shall be made publicly available.

Implementation Grant applicants may request supplemental planning funds to make necessary updates to Action Plans as a condition of award, for example:

Broadening the road user focus to encompass all roadway users

Updating plan components laid out in Table 1 and missing in an eligible plan

c. Demonstration Activities

Demonstration activities inform an Action Plan by testing proposed project and strategy approaches to determine their potential benefits and future scope; demonstration activities are temporary. Demonstration activities must measure potential benefits through data collection and evaluation and inform an Action Plan’s list of selected projects and strategies and their future implementation.

Eligible demonstration activities may include but are not limited to feasibility studies; MUTCD

(Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) engineering studies; pilot programs for behavioral

Component Description Progress and Transparency

Method to measure progress over time after an Action Plan is developed or updated, including outcome data. A means to ensure ongoing transparency is established with residents and other relevant stakeholders. The approach must include, at a minimum, annual public and accessible reporting on progress toward reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries and public posting of the Action Plan online.

or operational activities that include at least one element of the Safe System Approach; and pilot programs that demonstrate safety benefits of technologies not yet adopted in the community, including vehicle-to-infrastructure technology.9 Eligible technologies must be commercially available and at a prototype or advanced technological readiness level.10 Additional examples of eligible demonstration activities are provided at https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/planning-and-demonstration-activities.

Demonstration activities and pilot programs must inform Action Plans through small-scale tests with finite trial periods intended to gauge potential project and strategy effectiveness that will lead to project and strategy selection at a systemic level. DOT generally expects demonstration activities to be initiated within 18 months of executing a grant agreement (e.g., quick-builds on the roadway; pilot project established) and the benefits of the demonstration activity to be evaluated during the period of performance for the grant agreement.

The final deliverable is an assessment of the demonstration activities and an updated Action Plan that incorporates the information gathered from the demonstration activities into the Action

Plan’s list of projects or strategies and/or informs another part of the Action Plan.

ii. Implementation Grants

Implementation Grants fund projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan that address roadway safety problems. Implementation Grants may also fund supplemental planning and demonstration activities as described in Section D.2.i, as well as planning, design, and

9 Eligible vehicle-to-infrastructure demonstrations use interoperable vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communications capabilities using 4G LTE cellular V2X (C-V2X) technology in the 5.905 – 5.925 GHz spectrum frequency band to enable safety applications for public fleet vehicles.

10 The corresponding level would be “Development,” level 7 Prototype demonstrated in operational environment.

See https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/17047/17047.pdf.

development activities for projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan (e.g., project-level

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, associated environmental review activities, permits and approvals, construction design, etc.). DOT encourages Implementation

Grant applicants to include supplemental planning and demonstration activities in their application.

3. SS4A Grant Priorities

This section discusses priorities specific to SS4A and NOFO requirements. Successful grant applications will:

Promote safety to prevent fatal and serious injuries on public roadways;

Employ low-cost, high-impact strategies that can improve safety over a wide geographic area;

Ensure equitable investment in the safety needs of underserved communities,11 which includes both underserved urban and rural communities;

Incorporate evidence-based projects and strategies and adopt innovative technologies and strategies; and

Demonstrate engagement with a variety of public and private stakeholders.12

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), awards focused on infrastructure and demonstration activities must ensure that newly constructed facilities in the public right-of-way are accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities to the extent that it is not structurally impracticable to do so. The ADA also requires that, when an existing

11 IIJA Section 24112(d)(3)(E) 12 IIJA Section 24112(d)(3)(B) facility is altered, the altered facility be made accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities to the maximum extent feasible (28 CFR 35.151[a] and 35.151[b]).

The Department intends to use the SS4A program to support the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and the incorporation of strong labor standards, such as through the use of project labor agreements, registered apprenticeship programs, and other training and placement programs.

The Department intends to apply principles from the DOT Order, Ensuring Reliance Upon

Sound Economic Analysis in DOT’s Policies, Programs and Activities when evaluating applications and making award selections.

4. Eligible Activities and Costs

Broadly, eligible activity costs must comply with the cost principles set forth in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E (i.e., 2 CFR 200.403 and 200.405). DOT reserves the right to make cost eligibility determinations on a case-by-case basis.

i. Eligible Activities

Eligible activities for grant funding include the following three elements:

A. Developing or updating an Action Plan (i.e., the activities described in Section D.2.i);

B. Conducting planning, design, and development activities for projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan; and

C. Carrying out projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan.

For Implementation Grants, activities must include element (C) “carrying out projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan,” and may include element (B) “conducting planning, design, and development activities for projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan” and/or element (A) such as supplemental planning or demonstration activities. Projects and strategies identified in element (C) must be either infrastructure, behavioral, operational, or post-crash care activities identified in the Action Plan and must be directly related to addressing the safety problem(s) identified in the application and Action Plan. Applicants may “bundle” different projects, strategies, supplemental planning, and/or demonstration activities into one

Implementation Grant application, even if they address different safety problems or are located in different areas. Funding requests for (B) planning, design, and development activities for a project or strategy must be directly connected to the completion of the (C) projects and strategies funded through the Implementation Grant application. Examples of eligible Implementation

Grant activities are listed on the SS4A website

(https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/implementation-grants). The following activities are not eligible for element (C) “projects and strategies” nor demonstration activity funding:

Projects and strategies whose primary purpose is not roadway safety.

Projects and strategies exclusively focused on non-roadway modes of transportation, including air, rail, marine, and pipeline. Roadway intersections with other modes of transportation (e.g., at-grade highway rail crossings) are eligible activities.

Capital projects to construct new roadways used for motor vehicles. A new roadway facility exclusively for non-motorists (e.g., a shared use path) is an eligible activity if the primary purpose is safety related.

Infrastructure projects primarily intended to expand capacity to improve Levels of

Service for motorists on an existing roadway, such as the creation of additional lanes.

Maintenance activities for an existing roadway primarily to maintain a state of good repair. However, roadway modifications on an existing roadway in support of specific safety-related projects identified in an Action Plan are eligible activities.

Development or implementation of a public transportation agency safety plan (PTASP) required by 49 U.S.C. § 5329. However, a PTASP that identifies and addresses risks to pedestrians, bicyclists, personal conveyance and micromobility users, transit riders, and others may inform Action Plan development.

5. Project and Strategy Location

For Implementation Grants, applications must identify the problems to be addressed, the relevant geographic locations (e.g., corridors, intersections), and the projects and strategies they plan to implement based on their Action Plan or established plan. This should include specific intervention types, address common safety risk characteristics, and be located on the Action

Plan’s high-injury network to the extent practicable.

E. Federal Award Information

1. Total Funding Available

IIJA established the SS4A program with $5,000,000,000 in advanced appropriations in

Division J, including $1,000,000,000 for FY 2025. DOT has retained not more than 2 percent or

$20,000,000 for the administrative expenses.13 Additionally, DOT has $2,260,493 in FY 2024 carryover funds. Therefore, this Notice makes available up to $982,260,493 for FY 2025 grants

13 IIJA Section 24112 (f)(2) under the SS4A program. Refer to Section G for greater detail on additional funding considerations and Table A. Basic Information for funding restrictions.

2. Availability of Funds

Grant funding obligation occurs when a selected applicant and DOT enter into a written grant agreement after the applicant has satisfied applicable administrative requirements. Unless authorized by DOT in writing after DOT’s announcement of FY 2025 SS4A grant awards, any costs incurred prior to DOT’s obligation of funds for activities (“pre-award costs”) are ineligible for reimbursement and may not be used as matching funds. If authorized by DOT in writing, Implementation Grant award recipients may incur pre-award costs for National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA) and design activities, and these expenses may count toward match or cost share. Applicants who expect to request pre-award authority must clearly articulate such a request in the application. DOT will determine whether such pre-award costs may be counted toward match or cost share on a case-by-case basis. All SS4A funds must be expended within five years after the grant agreement is executed.

3. Start Dates and Period of Performance

DOT expects to obligate SS4A award funding via signed grant agreements between the

Department and recipients, as flexibly and expeditiously as possible, within 12 months of award announcement. In support of award recipients with less familiarity with administering a Federal grant, the Department established a SS4A Technical Assistance Center to assist award recipients with Federal requirements. Applicants who have never received Federal funding from DOT are also encouraged to partner with eligible applicants within the same region, such as an MPO, that have established financial relationships with DOT and knowledge of Federal grant administration requirements. While States are not eligible applicants and cannot be a co-applicant (which includes State Departments of Transportation and similar State-level entities), eligible applicants are encouraged to seek guidance on project delivery and processes from States and other entities experienced with administering Federal grants, outside of the SS4A grant award process, to ensure effective administration of a grant award. The expected period of performance for Planning and Demonstration Grant agreements is between 12 months and five years, depending on the scope and extent of the grant activities. The period of performance for

Planning and Demonstration Grant and Implementation Grant agreements may not exceed five years.

4. Data Collection Requirements

Under IIJA, the Department shall post on a publicly available website on best practices and lessons learned for preventing roadway fatalities and serious injuries pursuant to strategies or interventions implemented under SS4A. Additionally, DOT shall evaluate and incorporate, as appropriate, the effectiveness of strategies and interventions implemented under the SS4A grant program into the publicly available website on best practices and lessons learned. 14F

14 The

Department intends to measure safety outcomes through a combination of grant agreement activities and data collections, including DOT data collections already underway and program evaluations separate from the individual grant agreements in accordance with Section I.3.iii. The grant data-collection requirements reflect the need to build evidence of noteworthy strategies and

14 IIJA specifically cites Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices, Eleventh Edition, or any successor document, but DOT also is to consider applied research focused on infrastructure and operational projects and strategies.

best practices. The Department expects to use the data and outcome information collected before and after evaluations. See Section I for more information about post-award reporting requirements.

F. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

1. Address to Request Application Package

All grant application materials can be accessed at grants.gov under opportunity number DOT-

SS4A-FY25-01. Potential applicants may also request paper copies of materials at:

Email: SS4A@dot.gov

Phone: 202-948-3466 (Telecommunication Relay Service: 7-1-1)

Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

W84-237

Washington, DC 20590

2. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

Each applicant is required to:

a. be registered in SAM (https://sam.gov/content/home) before submitting its application;

b. provide an active unique entity identifier in its application; and

c. continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

DOT may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOT is ready to make an award, DOT may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

3. Submission Instructions

Applicants must submit their applications electronically via Valid Eval at:

https://usg.valideval.com/teams/usdot_ss4a_2025_implementation/signup for

Implementation Grant applicants https://usg.valideval.com/teams/usdot_ss4a_2025_planning_demo/signup for Planning and Demonstration Grant applicants

For technical assistance with Valid Eval, applicants should contact Valid Eval at support@valideval.com.

The Planning and Demonstration Grant, and the Implementation Grant, respectively, have different application submission and supporting document requirements.

i. Implementation Grant Pre-Application Submissions

A potential Implementation Grant applicant may submit a pre-application that consists of a Self-

Certification Eligibility Worksheet and links or attachments to any referenced plan(s) to determine whether the applicant has an existing plan or plans that are substantially similar to an

Action Plan, which is required to apply for an Implementation Grant. A pre-application eligibility review request must submit all needed materials, including relevant documentation, to receive an eligibility determination by DOT. Pre-application submissions must be received on or before May 9, 2025, by emailing SS4A@dot.gov with the subject “Implementation Grant

Eligibility Review: Applicant Name, State.” DOT expects to provide an affirmative response or provide details as to why the plan(s) do not meet eligibility requirements, to the applicant within three weeks of receipt. Each applicant may request only one pre-application submission review.

DOT will not perform pre-application reviews of full application materials nor provide feedback on the quality of the overall application.

Planning and Demonstration Grant applicants are not eligible for pre-application submission reviews.

ii. Planning and Demonstration Grant Application Submissions

The application must include Standard Forms (SF), Key Information Questions, Project

Narrative, Map, and Planning and Demonstration Grant Supplemental Estimated Budget. More detailed information about each application material, as well as additional documentation that may be required or included, is provided below. The necessary file formats for each application component will be displayed on the Valid Eval intake site.

a. Standard Forms

All applicants must submit the following Standard Forms:

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A), Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B), and

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL).

If the SS4A Federal funding amounts requested differ between forms and/or other application materials, the amount in the SF-424 will be used to determine funding. Funding requests must be in whole numbers (no cents). For the SF-424A form, Section D and Section E are optional as described in the SF-424A instructions.

b. Key Information Questions

The following questions are asked in the SS4A application on Valid Eval at https://usg.valideval.com/teams/usdot_ss4a_2025_planning_demo/signup.

Table 2: Example Planning and Demonstration Application Key Information Table

Title Instructions

Lead Applicant Name This should be consistent with Q. 8.a. of the SF-424.

Lead Applicant Unique Entity Identifier

(UEI)

See Section F.2 for more information about obtaining a UEI from SAM.gov.

Eligible Entity Type See Section C.1.

Total Applicant Jurisdiction Population Source: 2020 U.S. Census data.

Total Count Motor Vehicle-Involved Roadway Fatalities that includes the last 5 years of data made available in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) during the NOFO period

From the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for the applicant jurisdiction. Use 2018-2022 data.

Total Average Annual Fatality Rate (per 100,000 population)

The fatality rate calculated using the 5-year annual average from the total count of fatalities based on FARS data from 2018-2022, divided by the population of the applicant’s jurisdiction based on 2020 U.S. Census population data.

Inclusion of Underserved Communities Census Tract(s)

Whether the jurisdiction(s) covered by this application are, or include, underserved communities.

Project Title A concise, descriptive title for the project. This should be the same title used in the SF-424 form and the application narrative.

Project Goal A short description of the safety problem(s) to be solved and how this project will address it.

Application Type (select all that apply) Develop a new Action Plan;

Title Instructions

Update/add to an existing local safety plan to meet the requirements of an SS4A Action Plan as described in Table 1 of the NOFO;

Develop or update an Action Plan and conduct Demonstration or other Supplemental Planning activities; or

Conduct Demonstration or other Supplemental Planning activities only.

Description of Supplemental Planning and Demonstration Activities (if relevant)

See Section D.2.i.

Total SS4A Funding Request Must be a whole number (no cents).

Total SS4A Non-Federal Share Must be equal to, or greater than, 20% of total project cost.

Total SS4A Project Cost Sum of Total Federal Funding Request and Total Local share/Match.

Total Other Federal Funds Used Must be a whole number (no cents). Other Federal funds may include funds directly received from a Federal agency or funds received through a pass-through agency (e.g., State governmental agency) that originated as Federal funds.

Coordination Proof of coordination (e.g., letter, email) from entities in your jurisdiction which have previously received SS4A funding to develop a new Action Plan and/or have submitted an FY25 application requesting funds to develop a new Action Plan. Proof of coordination should come from ALL relevant entities affirming they are aware of your application and the need for coordination to avoid duplication of efforts. Required for those requesting funding to develop a new Action Plan only.

c. Narrative

In narrative form, the applicant must respond to the Planning and Demonstration Grant

Additional Safety Context selection criteria described in Section G.1.i to affirm its alignment with SS4A safety considerations and address the criteria.

Applicants requesting less than $100,000 in funding must explain how the scope of activities will be completed with the funding amount proposed.

Applicants requesting funding for demonstration activities to inform an Action Plan must provide a brief schedule showing when the activities will occur (e.g., hardware installed, when the pilot would begin), and the start/end dates of the work.