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What's in this year's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) NOFO?

The FY2026 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Notice of Funding Opportunity has officially dropped. We want to give you a clear read on what’s in it, what’s changed from last time, and what it will take to be competitive this round.


If you want to review the full notice, you can access it here.


How much funding is available


There is just under $1B total available ($993M) this year.


  • Implementation Grants: ~$688M

    • Typical awards: $2.5M–$25M

    • Only ~40–70 awards expected


  • Planning & Demonstration Grants: ~$306M

    • Typical awards: $100K–$5M

    • 400–700 awards expected

Implementation funding is large but selective. Planning grants are still the primary on-ramp.


What types of projects are eligible


This program still centers on reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries across all users.


Eligible work includes:

  • Creating or updating a comprehensive safety action plan

  • Supplemental planning (data, audits, engagement)

  • Demonstration pilots (quick-builds, pilots, tech testing)

  • Designing projects tied to a plan

  • Implementing safety projects from a plan


You need a strong Action Plan to unlock real infrastructure funding.


Who can apply


Eligible applicants:

  • Cities, towns, counties

  • MPOs

  • Tribal governments

  • Multi-jurisdictional partnerships


There are two distinct grant tracks


Planning & Demonstration

  • Build or strengthen your Action Plan

  • Lower barrier, higher volume of awards

  • Often the right starting point


Implementation

  • Funds your actual projects

  • Requires an existing, qualifying Action Plan

  • Can bundle design + pilots + implementation together


You can only submit one application total (you must choose a track).


How competitive this is


This remains a highly competitive, merit-based program.


Applications are scored on:

  • Clear safety problem (data-driven)

  • Demonstrated safety impact

  • Cost effectiveness

  • Stakeholder engagement and partnerships


For implementation, they are explicitly looking for:

  • Projects on high-injury networks

  • Evidence-based interventions

  • Scalable, high-impact strategies


What’s different this year


A few meaningful shifts:

  • Stronger, explicit emphasis on public safety infrastructure: EMS, emergency response coordination, post-crash care systems

  • Clearer evaluation criteria: More explicit scoring guidance → easier to target, harder to bluff

  • More flexibility in funding allocation: If planning grants are weak, funds may shift to implementation

  • Continued mentions of:

    • Equity / underserved communities

    • Low-cost, high-impact strategies

    • Multi-stakeholder coordination


What you need to be competitive


This is where most applications fail, don't ignore the list below.


A strong application now requires:


1. A credible Action Plan (or a path to one)

  • Must cover the full jurisdiction (not just a corridor)

  • Must include data, stakeholder input, and prioritized projects


2. Real partnerships

  • Multi-jurisdictional applications are encouraged

  • You need coordination across overlapping geographies

  • Proof of coordination is required in the application


3. A 20% local match

  • Federal share caps at 80%

  • Match can be cash or in-kind, but must be non-federal in most cases


4. Evidence and data

  • Crash data (5-year baseline)

  • High-injury network identification

  • Clear link between problem, intervention, and outcome


5. Delivery credibility

  • Timeline, permitting, readiness

  • Ability to execute within 2–5 years


6. Strong engagement strategy

  • Not just outreach; demonstrated collaboration

  • Especially with underserved communities and safety stakeholders


Key dates


These are coming up very quick.

  • Applications due: May 26, 2026

  • Technical questions due: April 24, 2026

  • (Implementation only) Pre-application eligibility review: April 24, 2026


Bottom line


  • If you don’t have an Action Plan, focus on Planning grants.

  • If you do have one, this is a real shot at implementation funding, but only if it’s strong and current.


The winning applications will be the ones that show coordination, data discipline, and clear execution readiness.


We hope to see this funding translate into real, on-the-ground safety improvements across your railtowns! Get future notices first by joining our mailing list.



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