One of the best funding sources for safer streets is back!

On March 28, the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) published a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. This NOFO will be the only application period in 2025 for the SS4A program, which provides about $1 Billion each year for projects that improve safety on our streets. Eligible entities have 90 days, until Thursday, June 26, 2025, to apply. 

You may have seen the US DOT memo that directs a review of grants whose primary purpose is bike lanes. You may have watched a recent Jon Stewart interview where he calls a NOFO a MOFO that is too complex. I am here to say that the SS4A program remains one of the best funding sources for safer streets – and encourage you to get your community to apply.

Over the three years of the SS4A program, its grants have reached around 75% of the U.S. population and provided grants to about 800 communities who had never previously received a federal transportation grant. This year’s NOFO makes some changes, but the SS4A program remains unchanged in its intent – preventing “fatalities and serious injuries on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators.”

The SS4A program is available for Metropolitan Planning Organizations; political subdivisions of a State or territory (e.g., cities, towns, counties); Federally recognized Tribal governments; and  multijurisdictional groups of those entities. Its grants can be used for a wide variety of activities, but applicants must choose to pursue either a Planning and Demonstration grant or Implementation grant.

Compared to previous years, there are a few things to be aware of:

• There is only one application period and one application deadline this year. Planning and Demonstration Grant and Implementation Grant applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM (EDT) on June 26, 2025.
• If you are applying for an implementation grant, you will need to have an approved Safety Action Plan. You are strongly encouraged to submit your Action Plan for pre-application review by 5:00 PM (EDT) on May 9, 2025. If it is approved, you will be able to apply for an implementation grant. If it is not approved, you can apply for a supplemental planning grant to finish meeting the criteria.
  • US DOT also has this self-certification worksheet you can use to make sure the plan has all the criteria. 
  • Helpful hints: Make sure the plan details the public outreach work the community has done. DOT will give preference to planning grants that cover the entire community rather than ones that focus on one area or neighborhood.
  • If your planning grant relied on other existing plans meeting some of the requirements (e.g. a vision zero goal) make sure it is referenced in the SSFA plan. 
• If you are applying for a planning grant, there is a strong emphasis on addressing all road users and the applicant’s traffic safety issues comprehensively. Grants that only focus on one mode of transportation, such as bicycling, are less likely to be competitive than grants that talk about safety issues comprehensively and pursue bicycle safety improvements as part of addressing the safety of all road users.
• For either grant, focus on benefits to families and kids, and reducing costs (or increasing economic benefits). The NOFO refers back to an earlier memo that states the Administration will base grant decisions on how well they meet their priorities including economic benefits, and benefits to families and children. For instance: the Trump Administration has been positive towards Safe Routes to School.
  • Another example: Areas of Persistent Poverty. The Trump Administration may not prioritize words like equity or diversity, but the statutory language does include promoting safety in areas of persistent poverty. The Administration has responded by giving a clearer definition of what qualifies. 

There are many US DOT resources available to help communities apply for SS4A grants. June 26th will be here before you know it. Here’s a chart of the changes to this year’s NOFO created by the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. 

The SS4A program remains one of the only USDOT grants that goes directly to communities, rather than through the state department of transportation, and retains its flexibility that has served so many communities well over the last three years. Do not be deterred by negative headlines. Do not apologize for your community’s bicycle safety needs. But, make sure you are responsive to the NOFO and engage with the administration’s priorities. 

If you have questions about the NOFO, such as how the administration will apply principles from the DOT Order, Ensuring Reliance Upon Sound Economic Analysis in DOT’s Policies, Programs and Activities, there is an opportunity to submit questions by 5:00 PM (EDT) on May 29, 2025.

If you would like advice about pursuing bicycle safety projects in the SS4A program, please reach out to Ken McLeod, policy director at the League of American Bicyclists, at [email protected].