The US Department of Transportation announced the City of Madison has been selected for transportation safety planning funding as part of the US DOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. The planning grant includes $267,680 in federal funding to assist the City in furthering work on Vision Zero and other safety programs. The grant funding supports additional planning needs identified in the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan and the Complete Green Streets Guide.

Planning activities funded include:

• Update to the City’s Pedestrian Plan, including prioritizing projects based on safety and equity
• Support for updating the City’s Bike Plan, to finalize an All Ages Ability Bike Network, the map of our most critical routes to ensure everyone can feel safe bicycling, and prioritizing projects needed to complete the network
• Support for updating School Travel Plans, to help ensure all schools have updated plans, and identify priority safety improvements at select schools
• Additional evaluation of intersections where crashes involved pedestrians and bicyclists
• Integration of post-crash care safety planning into Vision Zero policy and improvements by reviewing response times and other emergency response needs

The SS4A funds are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in late 2021, that provides funding for projects focused on preventing deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s highways. The City of Madison is one of eight Wisconsin counties and municipalities to receive funding under the first round of SS4A grants.

“The grant will help Madison undertake the necessary planning to prioritize projects that will make the biggest difference in improving safety for people walking and biking,” said Yang Tao, Head of City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division. “It also provides an opportunity to look more at how we can help ensure the highest quality response should a crash occur.”

Another opportunity to apply for SS4A funds is expected to be made available in April. The City of Madison will be working with our regional partners to submit an application requesting funding to make significant safety improvements on roads in the Madison area.