EUREKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced that Eureka has been awarded $140,000 in federal funding in the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. The funds will be used to help improve safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries on local roadways.
Eureka is among seven Kansas communities receiving a combined total of $1.47 million in funding through the SS4A program.
“The city plans to develop a Transportation Safety Action Plan aimed at eliminating fatal crashes and dramatically reducing several injury crashes on the city’s street system,” said City Clerk Renee Burk. “City leadership is dedicated to creating safe and inclusive streets that prioritize the well-being and mobility of all residents.”
State funding provided by a Kansas SS4A Match Pilot Program will contribute 15% of the city’s local match as required of grant recipients.
“No one can better pinpoint a community’s safety needs than the people who live and work there,” said Governor Kelly. “I commend these local governments for leveraging federal and state funding to create safety plans for their city streets and county roads.”
Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Safe Streets and Roads for All is a five-year, $5 billion competitive grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. SS4A projects stress responsible driving, safer roadway designs, appropriate speed limit setting and improved post-crash care. Nationwide for this fall 2023 funding announcement, the $82 million in SS4A grants is being directed to 235 regional, local and Tribal communities.
“Local commitment and regional collaboration were instrumental in bringing Safe Streets and Roads for All funds to Kansas,” said KDOT Secretary Calvin Reed. “KDOT’s help with local matching funds is indicative of the importance the agency places of safety and our long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities.” The SS4A program is structured so the federal government covers 80% of the planning and demonstration grant costs, and the local government covers 20%. The Kansas Department of Transportation agreed to cover some or all of the local matches to encourage participation. To have the full 20% covered by KDOT, agencies had to represent a rural area of the state.
Other Kansas communities receiving SS4A grants include the cities of Hutchinson, Newton and Russell, and Chautauqua and Elk counties. The USDOT expects to announce additional FY23 awards in December.
