Technical Memorandum
DATE: August 18, 2022
TO: Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM: Rebecca Morgan, Director of Projects and Partnerships
RE: Safe
Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Application
The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program is a discretionary grant program that Congress established as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (IIJA). The program allocates $5 billion in appropriated funds over the next five years, with up to $1 billion for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2022. The SS4A Grant Program funds regional, local, and tribal initiatives to prevent fatalities and serious injuries on roadways, commonly referred to as “Vision Zero” or “Toward Zero Deaths” initiatives. Entities eligible for this grant program include metropolitan planning organizations, political subdivisions of states, tribal governments, and multijurisdictional groups.
There are two grant types being offered as part of the SS4A Grant Program: an Action Plan Grant to fund the development of a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and an Implementation Grant to fund implementation projects or strategies identified in an existing Safety Action Plan. MPOs are eligible for an award of up to $5 million for an Action Plan Grant and up to $50 million for an Implementation Grant. A 20 percent local match is required, which can include in-kind contributions or funding from non-federal sources.
For more information on the SS4A grant, visit the USDOT’s SS4A grant webpage.
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) staff and Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) staff
are planning to apply for an Action Plan Grant on behalf of the Boston Region
MPO to develop a Comprehensive Regional Safety Action Plan. Safety is an
essential mission of the MPO and is one of the major goals identified in Destination
2040, the MPO’s long-range transportation plan. The Safe Streets and Roads
for All Program is also consistent with the work the MPO is already engaged in,
including performance-based planning and programming. The MPO coordinates with
MassDOT and the region’s transit agencies to set short-term safety performance
targets, which are updated on an annual basis; these processes involve
monitoring safety-related data and considering factors that affect safety
outcomes. A Regional Safety Action Plan will build upon the work developed as
part of these existing programs. It will also allow the Boston Region MPO and
the municipalities in the region to apply for the SS4A Implementation Grant
funds in future years, helping the region achieve these goals.
If the Boston Region MPO is awarded the
Action Plan Grant funds, the MPO will develop a Comprehensive Regional Safety
Action Plan. As part of this planning process, the MPO board will be required
to adopt a resolution committing to the eventual goal of zero roadway
fatalities and serious injuries. This goal must be associated with either (1) a
target date for achieving zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries, or (2)
an ambitious reduction of fatalities and serious injuries by a specific date
with an eventual goal of zero deaths and serious injuries. The goals and
targets will be based upon the planning efforts and recommendations from the
Regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan study efforts.
MPO staff and MAPC staff are in the
process of finalizing the Action Plan Grant application, which is due on
September 15, 2022. The application includes the following:
·
Safety impact and equity data, including the
number of roadway fatalities, the five-year average fatality rate per 100,000
persons, and the percentage of population in underserved communities
·
A map of the Boston Region MPO’s planning
area
·
A 300-word narrative that describes the
Boston Region MPO’s approach to safety, which includes:
o
employing low-cost, high-impact strategies
that can improve safety over a wider geographical area
o
community engagement with a variety of
stakeholders
o
adopting innovative technologies and
strategies to promote safety and equity
o
evidence-based projects and strategies
·
An estimated budget for the development of
the Regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan
·
Required federal forms
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT)
plans to announce the award recipients by the end of the 2022 calendar year or
early 2023. If the Boston Region MPO is awarded the SS4A grant, MPO staff and
MAPC staff will procure consultant services to conduct the majority of the work
to develop a Regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan with direction and
support from MPO staff and MAPC staff. MPO staff’s and MAPC staff’s tasks will
include the following:
·
Grant administration: Administering the funds
and ensuring contract compliance.
·
Consultant procurement: Developing a Request
for Proposal (RFP), reviewing submissions, and selecting a consultant team.
·
Consultant oversight: Directing and
overseeing the consultant teams’ work to ensure that it meets the needs of the
region, is consistent with the MPO’s goals, and fulfills USDOT requirements for
the grant.
·
Action plan coordination and support: Coordinating
with regional stakeholders and the MPO board supporting development of a task force,
participating in community engagement and focus groups, providing data for
safety analysis, supporting the establishment of goals, and reviewing consultant
deliverables.
MPO staff requests that the MPO board vote to approve MPO staff and MAPC
staff’s plan to submit an application on behalf of the MPO for the Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan Grant.
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The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) operates its programs, services, and activities in
compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws including Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Civil Rights Restoration Act of
1987, and related statutes and regulations. Title VI prohibits discrimination
in federally assisted programs and requires that no person in the United
States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin
(including limited English proficiency), be excluded from participation in,
denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any
program or activity that receives federal assistance. Related federal
nondiscrimination laws administered by the Federal Highway Administration,
Federal Transit Administration, or both, prohibit discrimination on the basis
of age, sex, and disability. The Boston Region MPO considers these protected
populations in its Title VI Programs, consistent with federal interpretation
and administration. In addition, the Boston Region MPO provides meaningful
access to its programs, services, and activities to individuals with limited
English proficiency, in compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation
policy and guidance on federal Executive Order 13166. The Boston Region MPO also complies with the
Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law, M.G.L. c 272 sections 92a, 98, 98a,
which prohibits making any distinction, discrimination, or restriction in
admission to, or treatment in a place of public accommodation based on race,
color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability,
or ancestry. Likewise, the Boston Region MPO complies with the Governor's
Executive Order 526, section 4, which requires that all programs, activities,
and services provided, performed, licensed, chartered, funded, regulated, or
contracted for by the state shall be conducted without unlawful
discrimination based on race, color, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry,
national origin, disability, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era
veterans), or background. A complaint form and additional information can be
obtained by contacting the MPO or at http://www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination. To
request this information in a different language or in an accessible format,
please contact Title VI Specialist By Telephone: For people with hearing or speaking
difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service: ·
Relay Using
TTY or Hearing Carry-over: 800.439.2370 ·
Relay Using
Voice Carry-over: 866.887.6619 ·
Relay Using
Text to Speech: 866.645.9870 For more information, including
numbers for Spanish speakers, visit https://www.mass.gov/massrelay. |