31606 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2022 / Notices 

In accordance with the Wendell H. 

Ford Aviation Investment and Reform 

Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21), Public 

Law 106–181 (Apr. 5, 2000; 114 Stat. 

75), this notice must be published in the 

Federal Register 30 days before the DOT 

Secretary may waive any condition 

imposed on a federally obligated airport 

by surplus property conveyance deeds 

or grant agreements. 

Issued in El Segundo, California, on May 

18, 2022. 

Brian Q. Armstrong, 

Manager, Safety and Standards Branch, 

Airports Division, Western-Pacific Region. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11082 Filed 5–23–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

United States Merchant Marine 

Academy Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, U.S. 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Notice to extend the time to 

apply for or nominate members to the 

United States Merchant Marine 

Academy Advisory Council. 

SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration 

(MARAD) is extending the time period 

in which to apply for or nominate 

membership to the United States 

Merchant Marine Academy Advisory 

Council (Council). The Council will 

provide advice and recommendations to 

the Secretary of Transportation, 

MARAD, and the United States 

Merchant Marine Academy (Academy) 

on matters related to the Academy. 

DATES: Applicant or nominator 

submissions should be received by June 

14, 2022. Submissions received after 

this date will be considered as 

practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Applicant or nominator 

submissions must be made 

electronically (by email) to the email 

address listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section. The 

subject line should state ‘‘USMMA 

Advisory Council Member 

Nomination.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Jack Kammerer, Designated Federal 

Officer, Executive Director, Maritime 

Administration at Jack.Kammerer@

dot.gov or 202–366–2805. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Council is an advisory committee 

established pursuant to the National 

Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal 

Year 2022, Public Law 117–81, section 

3501(c), codified at 46 U.S.C. 51323, 

and in accordance with the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 

U.S.C. App. 2. The Council, through the 

Maritime Administrator, will provide 

the Secretary with advice and 

recommendations on the issues 

identified in the National Academy of 

Public Administration’s Comprehensive 

Assessment of the U.S. Merchant Marine 

Academy November 2021 report. The 

advice and recommendations will relate 

to the morale, discipline, social climate, 

curriculum, instruction, physical 

equipment, fiscal affairs, academic 

methods, administrative policies, 

infrastructure needs, and other matters 

relating to the Academy. 

Under its charter, the Council is 

comprised of no fewer than 8 members, 

but not more than 14 members, 

appointed by the Secretary for terms of 

up to two years, and appointed from 

among individuals with diverse 

backgrounds and expertise that will 

allow them to contribute balanced 

points of view and ideas regarding 

improving the Academy. Appointees 

may include individuals who are 

specially qualified to represent the 

interests and opinions of: Academia and 

higher education administration; 

Academy graduates; Members of the 

armed forces; Shipping and labor; 

Experts in the field of sexual assault and 

sexual harassment prevention and 

response; Experts in the field of 

workplace diversity, equity, and 

inclusion; and Experts in capital 

improvement planning. 

Council members serve without pay. 

Members may be entitled to 

reimbursement of expenses related to 

per diem and travel when attending 

Council meetings, as authorized under 5 

U.S.C. 5703 and 41 CFR part 301. The 

Council will meet as often as needed to 

fulfill its mission, but typically four 

times each fiscal year to address its 

objectives and duties. The Council will 

aim to meet in person at least once each 

fiscal year with additional meetings 

held via teleconference. 

II. Nomination Process 

Members of the Council are appointed 

by the Secretary for two-year terms. The 

selection and appointment process for 

Council members is designed to ensure 

continuity of membership, and to afford 

the Secretary the advisory input of the 

most capable, diverse, and novel 

perspectives that the country has to 

offer. 

Individuals interested in serving on 

the Council are invited to apply for 

consideration for appointment. There is 

no application form; however, 

applicants/nominators should submit 

the following information: 

(1) Contact Information for the 

applicant/nominee, consisting of: 

a. Name 

b. Title 

c. Organization or Affiliation 

d. Address 

e. City, State, Zip Code 

f. Telephone number 

g. Email address 

(2) Statement of interest if the 

applicant/nominee believes it would be 

helpful to consideration of their 

appointment to the council, limited to 

250 words on why the applicant/ 

nominee wants to serve on the Council 

and the unique perspectives and 

experiences the applicant/nominee 

brings to the Council; 

(3) A current resume and category of 

interest of the applicant/nominee is 

required; 

(4) An affirmative statement that the 

applicant/nominee is not a Federally 

registered lobbyist seeking to serve on 

the committee in their individual 

capacity and the identity of the interests 

they intend to represent, if appointed as 

a member of the Council; and 

(5) Optional letters of support. 

All non-federal members must also 

complete a background investigation. 

The Department of Transportation 

does not discriminate in employment on 

the basis of race, color, religion, sex, 

national origin, political affiliation, 

sexual orientation, gender identity, 

marital status, disability and genetic 

information, age, membership in an 

employee organization, or other nonmerit factors. The Department strives to 

achieve a diverse candidate pool for all 

its recruitment actions. 

By Order of the Maritime Administrator. 

T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr., 

Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11133 Filed 5–23–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation 

[DOT–OST–2022–0056] 

U.S. DOT FY22 Safe Streets and Roads 

for All Funding 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation, U.S. Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(NOFO). 

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is 

to solicit applications for the Fiscal Year 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2022 / Notices 31607 

1The definition is based on the ‘‘Moving to a 

Complete Streets Design Model: A Report to 

Congress on Opportunities and Challenges,’’ 

https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/federalhighway-administration-details-efforts-advancecomplete-streets-design-model. 

2Source: FHWA, Public Roads Magazine Spring 

2021 ‘‘Micromobility: A Travel Innovation.’’ 

Publication Number: FHWA–HRT–21–003. 3https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ 

ViewPublication/813251, see page 127 for the full 

definition as defined in the 2020 FARS/CRSS 

Coding and Validation Manual. 

4See: https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS/ 

SafeSystem. 

5Safety culture can be defined as the shared 

values, actions, and behaviors that demonstrate a 

commitment to safety over competing goals and 

demands. 

2022 (FY22) NOFO for the Safe Streets 

and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary 

grant program. SS4A funds will be 

awarded on a competitive basis to 

support infrastructure, behavioral, and 

operational initiatives that prevent 

death and serious injury on roads and 

streets involving all roadway users, 

including: Pedestrians; bicyclists; public 

transportation, personal conveyance, 

and micromobility users; motorists; and 

commercial vehicle operators. 

DATES: Applications must be submitted 

by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, 

September 15, 2022. Late applications 

will not be accepted. 

ADDRESSES: Applications must be 

submitted through www.Grants.gov. 

Only applicants who comply with all 

submission requirements described in 

this notice and submit applications 

through www.Grants.gov on or before 

the application deadline will be eligible 

for award. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information regarding this 

notice, please contact the Office of the 

Secretary via email at SS4A@dot.gov, or 

call Paul Teicher at (202) 366–4114. A 

TDD is available for individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing at 202–366– 

3993. In addition, DOT will periodically 

post answers to common questions and 

requests for clarifications on the 

Department’s website at https://

www.transportation.gov/SS4A. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each 

section of this notice contains 

information and instructions relevant to 

the application process for SS4A grants, 

and all applicants should read this 

notice in its entirety so that they have 

the information they need to submit 

eligible and competitive applications. 

Table of Contents 

A. Program Description 

1. Overview 

2. Grant Types and Deliverables 

3. SS4A Grant Priorities 

B. Federal Award Information 

1. Total Funding Available 

2. Availability of Funds 

3. Award Size and Anticipated Quantity 

4. Start Dates and Period of Performance 

5. Data Collection Requirements 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

3. Grant Eligibility Requirements 

4. Eligible Activities and Costs 

D. Application and Submission Information 

1. Address To Request Application Package 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for 

Award Management 

4. Submission Date and Time 

5. Funding Restrictions 

6. Other Submission Requirements 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria 

2. Review and Selection Process 

3. Additional Information 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

3. Reporting 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

H. Other Information 

1. Publication of Application Information 

2. Department Feedback on Applications 

3. Rural Applicants 

Definitions 

Term Definition 

Applicant’s Jurisdiction(s) ............... The U.S. Census tracts where the applicant operates or performs their safety responsibilities. If an applicant is seeking funding for multiple jurisdictions, all of the relevant Census tracts for the jurisdictions covered by the application should be included. 

Complete Streets ............................ Standards or policies that ensure the safe and adequate accommodation of all users of the transportation 

system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, personal conveyance and micromobility users, public transportation users, children, older individuals, individuals with disabilities, motorists, and freight vehicles.1

Comprehensive Safety Action Plan A comprehensive safety action plan (referred to as Action Plan) is aimed at preventing roadway fatalities 

and serious injuries in a locality, Tribe, or region. This can either be a plan developed with an Action 

Plan Grant, or a previously developed plan that is substantially similar and meets the eligibility requirements (e.g., a Vision Zero plan or similar plan). 

Equity .............................................. The consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who 

belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons 

with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent 

poverty or inequality. 

High Injury Network ........................ Identifies the highest concentrations of traffic crashes resulting in serious injuries and fatalities within a 

given roadway network or jurisdiction. 

Micromobility ................................... Any small, low-speed, human- or electric-powered transportation device, including bicycles, scooters, electric-assist bicycles, electric scooters (e-scooters), and other small, lightweight, wheeled conveyances.2

Personal Conveyance ..................... A personal conveyance is a device, other than a transport device, used by a pedestrian for personal mobility assistance or recreation. These devices can be motorized or human powered, but not propelled by 

pedaling.3

Political Subdivision of a State ....... A unit of government created under the authority of State law. This includes cities, towns, counties, special 

districts, certain transit agencies, and similar units of local government. A transit district, authority, or 

public benefit corporation is eligible if it was created under State law, including transit authorities operated by political subdivisions of a State. 

Rural ................................................ For the purposes of this NOFO, jurisdictions outside an Urbanized Area (UA) or located within Urbanized 

Areas with populations fewer than 200,000 will be considered rural. Lists of UAs are available on the 

U.S. Census Bureau website at http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/UAUC_RefMap/ua/. 

Safe System Approach ................... A guiding principle to address the safety of all road users. It involves a paradigm shift to improve safety 

culture, increase collaboration across all safety stakeholders, and refocus transportation system design 

and operation on anticipating human mistakes and lessening impact forces to reduce crash severity and 

save lives.4 5


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31608 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2022 / Notices 

6The priorities of Executive Order 14052, 

Implementation of the Infrastructure Investments 

and Jobs Act are: To invest efficiently and 

equitably, promote the competitiveness of the U.S. 

economy, improve job opportunities by focusing on 

high labor standards and equal employment 

opportunity, strengthen infrastructure resilience to 

hazards including climate change, and to effectively 

coordinate with State, local, Tribal, and territorial 

government partners. 

Term Definition 

Underserved Community ................ An underserved community as defined for this NOFO is consistent with the Office of Management and 

Budget’s Interim Guidance for the Justice40 Initiative and the Historically Disadvantaged Community 

designation, which includes: 

• U.S. Census tracts identified in this table: https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/tsyd-k6ij; 

• Any Tribal land; or 

• Any territory or possession of the United States. 

A. Program Description 

1. Overview 

Section 24112 of the Infrastructure 

Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117– 

58, November 15, 2021; also referred to 

as the ‘‘Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’’ 

or ‘‘BIL’’) authorized and appropriated 

$1 billion to be awarded by the 

Department of Transportation for FY 

2022 for the SS4A grant program. This 

NOFO solicits applications for activities 

to be funded under the SS4A grant 

program. The FY22 funding will be 

implemented, as appropriate and 

consistent with law, in alignment with 

the priorities in Executive Order 14052, 

Implementation of the Infrastructure 

Investment and Jobs Act (86 FR 64355).6

The purpose of SS4A grants is to 

improve roadway safety by significantly 

reducing or eliminating roadway 

fatalities and serious injuries through 

safety action plan development and 

implementation focused on all users, 

including pedestrians, bicyclists, public 

transportation users, motorists, personal 

conveyance and micromobility users, 

and commercial vehicle operators. The 

program provides funding to develop 

the tools to help strengthen a 

community’s approach to roadway 

safety and save lives and is designed to 

meet the needs of diverse local, Tribal, 

and regional communities that differ 

dramatically in size, location, and 

experience administering Federal 

funding. 

2. Grant Types and Deliverables 

The SS4A program provides funding 

for two types of grants: Action Plan 

Grants (for comprehensive safety action 

plans) and Implementation Grants. 

Action Plan Grants are used to develop, 

complete, or supplement a 

comprehensive safety action plan. To 

apply for an Implementation Grant, an 

eligible applicant must have a 

qualifying Action Plan. Implementation 

Grants are available to implement 

strategies or projects that are consistent 

with an existing Action Plan. 

Applicants for Implementation Grants 

can self-certify that they have in place 

one or more plans that together are 

substantially similar to and meet the 

eligibility requirements for an Action 

Plan. 

i. Action Plan Grants 

An Action Plan is the foundation of 

the SS4A grant program. Action Plan 

Grants provide Federal funds to eligible 

applicants to develop or complete an 

Action Plan. Action Plan Grants may 

also fund supplemental Action Plan 

activities. The goal of an Action Plan is 

to develop a holistic, well-defined 

strategy to prevent roadway fatalities 

and serious injuries in a locality, Tribe, 

or region. Further information on 

eligibility requirements is in Section C. 

The primary deliverable for an Action 

Plan Grant is a publicly available Action 

Plan. For the purposes of the SS4A grant 

program, an Action Plan includes the 

components in Table 1. DOT considers 

the process of developing an Action 

Plan to be critical for success, and the 

components reflect a process-oriented 

set of activities. 

TABLE 1—ACTION PLAN COMPONENTS

Component Description 

Leadership Commitment and Goal 

Setting.

An official public commitment (e.g., resolution, policy, ordinance, etc.) by a high-ranking official and/or governing body (e.g., Mayor, City Council, Tribal Council, MPO Policy Board, etc.) to an eventual goal of 

zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries. The commitment must include a goal and timeline for eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries achieved through one, or both, of the following: 

(1) the target date for achieving zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries, OR 

(2) an ambitious percentage reduction of roadway fatalities and serious injuries by a specific date with 

an eventual goal of eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries. 

Planning Structure .......................... A committee, task force, implementation group, or similar body charged with oversight of the Action Plan 

development, implementation, and monitoring. 

Safety Analysis ............................... Analysis of existing conditions and historical trends that provides a baseline level of crashes involving fatalities and serious injuries across a jurisdiction, locality, Tribe, or region. Includes an analysis of locations where there are crashes and the severity of the crashes, as well as contributing factors and crash 

types by relevant road users (motorists, people walking, transit users, etc.). Analysis of systemic and 

specific safety needs is also performed, as needed (e.g., high-risk road features, specific safety needs of 

relevant road users, public health approaches, analysis of the built environment, demographic, and 

structural issues, etc.). To the extent practical, the analysis should include all roadways within the jurisdiction, without regard for ownership. Based on the analysis performed, a geospatial identification of 

higher-risk locations is developed (a High-Injury Network or equivalent). 

Engagement and Collaboration ...... Robust engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and community 

groups, that allows for both community representation and feedback. Information received from engagement and collaboration is analyzed and incorporated into the Action Plan. Overlapping jurisdictions are 

included in the process. Plans and processes are coordinated and aligned with other governmental 

plans and planning processes to the extent practical. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2022 / Notices 31609 

7An underserved community as defined for this 

NOFO is consistent with the Office of Management 

and Budget’s Interim Guidance for the Justice40 

Initiative (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/ 

uploads/2021/07/M-21-28.pdf) and the Historically 

Disadvantaged Community designation, which 

includes U.S. Census tracts identified in this table 

https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/tsydk6ij; any Tribal land; or any territory or possession 

of the United States. 

TABLE 1—ACTION PLAN COMPONENTS—Continued 

Component Description 

Equity Considerations ..................... Plan development using inclusive and representative processes. Underserved communities are identified 

through data and other analyses in collaboration with appropriate partners.7 Analysis includes both population characteristics and initial equity impact assessments of the proposed projects and strategies. 

Policy and Process Changes .......... Assessment of current policies, plans, guidelines, and/or standards (e.g., manuals) to identify opportunities 

to improve how processes prioritize transportation safety. The Action Plan discusses implementation 

through the adoption of revised or new policies, guidelines, and/or standards, as appropriate. 

Strategy and Project Selections ..... Identification of a comprehensive set of projects and strategies, shaped by data, the best available evidence and noteworthy practices, as well as stakeholder input and equity considerations, that will address 

the safety problems described in the Action Plan. These strategies and countermeasures focus on a 

Safe System Approach, effective interventions, and consider multidisciplinary activities. To the extent 

practical, data limitations are identified and mitigated. 

Once identified, the list of projects and strategies is prioritized in a list that provides time ranges for when 

the strategies and countermeasures will be deployed (e.g., short-, mid-, and long-term timeframes). The 

list should include specific projects and strategies, or descriptions of programs of projects and strategies, 

and explains prioritization criteria used. The list should contain interventions focused on infrastructure, 

behavioral, and/or operational safety. 

Progress and Transparency ........... Method to measure progress over time after an Action Plan is developed or updated, including outcome 

data. Means to ensure ongoing transparency is established with residents and other relevant stakeholders. Must include, at a minimum, annual public and accessible reporting on progress toward reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries, and public posting of the Action Plan online. 

(a) Supplemental Action Plan Activities 

Supplemental action plan activities 

support or enhance an existing Action 

Plan. To fund supplemental Action Plan 

activities through the SS4A program, an 

applicant must have an existing Action 

Plan, or a plan that is substantially 

similar and meets the eligibility 

requirements for having an existing 

plan. The plan components may be 

contained within several documents. 

Table 2 in Section C is a SelfCertification Eligibility Worksheet with 

instructions to determine whether an 

existing plan meets the eligibility 

requirements. Supplemental action plan 

activities could include, but are not 

limited to: A second round of analysis; 

expanded data collection and evaluation 

using integrated data; testing action plan 

concepts before project and strategy 

implementation; feasibility studies 

using quick-build strategies that inform 

permanent projects in the future (e.g., 

paint, plastic bollards, etc.); follow-up 

stakeholder engagement and 

collaboration; targeted equity 

assessments; progress report 

development; and complementary 

planning efforts such as speed 

management plans, accessibility and 

transition plans, racial and health equity 

plans, and lighting management plans. 

Additional information on 

supplemental action plan activities is 

located at https://

www.transportation.gov/SS4A. 

Applicants that have an existing plan 

that is substantially similar to and meets 

the eligibility requirements of an Action 

Plan may alternatively choose to fund 

supplemental Action Plan activities 

through an application for an 

Implementation Grant rather than an 

Action Plan Grant. See Section A.2.ii 

below. 

ii. Implementation Grants 

Implementation Grants fund projects 

and strategies identified in an Action 

Plan that address roadway safety 

problems. Implementation Grants may 

also fund associated planning and 

design and supplemental Action Plan 

activities in support of an existing 

Action Plan. DOT encourages 

Implementation Grant applicants to 

include supplemental Action Plan 

activities in their application to further 

improve and update existing plans. 

Applicants must have an existing 

Action Plan to apply for Implementation 

Grants or have an existing plan that is 

substantially similar and meets the 

eligibility requirements of an Action 

Plan. If applicants do not have an 

existing Action Plan, they should apply 

for Action Plan Grants and NOT 

Implementation Grants. The plan 

components may be contained within 

several documents. Table 2 in Section C 

is a Self-Certification Eligibility 

Worksheet with instructions to 

determine eligibility to apply for an 

Implementation Grant. Additional 

information on eligibility requirements 

and eligible activities is in Section C 

below. 

3. SS4A Grant Priorities 

This section discusses priorities 

specific to SS4A and those related to the 

Department’s overall mission, which are 

reflected in the selection criteria and 

NOFO requirements. Successful grant 

applications will demonstrate 

engagement with a variety of public and 

private stakeholders and seek to adopt 

innovative technologies and strategies 

to: 

• Promote safety; 

• Employ low-cost, high-impact 

strategies that can improve safety over a 

wider geographic area; 

• Ensure equitable investment in the 

safety needs of underserved 

communities, which includes both 

underserved urban and rural 

communities; 

• Incorporate evidence-based projects 

and strategies; and 

• Align with the Department’s 

mission and with priorities such as 

equity, climate and sustainability, 

quality job creation, and economic 

strength and global competitiveness. 

The Department seeks to award 

Action Plan Grants based on safety 

impact, equity, and other safety 

considerations. For Implementation 

Grants, DOT seeks to make awards to 

projects and strategies that save lives 

and reduce roadway fatalities and 

serious injuries; incorporate equity, 

engagement, and collaboration into how 

projects and strategies are executed; use 

effective practices and strategies; 

consider climate change, sustainability, 

and economic competitiveness in 

project and strategy implementation; 

and will be able to complete the full 

scope of funded projects and strategies 

within five years after the establishment 


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31610 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2022 / Notices 

8https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS. 

9https://www.transportation.gov/dot-strategicplan. 

10Complete Streets are defined in the Definitions 

table at the beginning of the document. 

11More information on Complete Streets can be 

found at https://highways.dot.gov/complete-streets. 

12https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/ 

innovation/us-dot-innovation-principles. Released 

January 6, 2022. 

of a grant agreement. Section D provides 

more information on the specific 

measures an application should 

demonstrate to support these goals. 

The SS4A grant program aligns with 

both Departmental and Biden-Harris 

Administration activities and priorities. 

The National Roadway Safety Strategy 

(NRSS, issued January 27, 2022) 

commits the Department to respond to 

the current crisis in roadway fatalities 

by ‘‘taking substantial, comprehensive 

action to significantly reduce serious 

and fatal injuries on the Nation’s 

roadways,’’ in pursuit of the goal of 

achieving zero roadway deaths.8 DOT 

recognizes that zero is the only 

acceptable number of deaths on our 

roads, and achieving that is our longterm safety goal. The outcomes that are 

anticipated from the SS4A program also 

support the FY 2022–2026 DOT 

Strategic Plan and the accompanying 

safety performance goals such as a 

medium-term goal of a two-thirds 

reduction in roadway fatalities by 

2040.9

As part of the NRSS, the Department 

adopted the Safe System Approach as a 

guiding principle to advance roadway 

safety. The Safe System Approach 

addresses the safety of all road users. It 

involves a paradigm shift to improve 

safety culture, increase collaboration 

across all safety stakeholders, and 

refocus transportation system design 

and operation on anticipating human 

mistakes and lessening impact forces to 

reduce crash severity and save lives. For 

more information on the Safe System 

Approach, see the NRSS. 

DOT encourages communities to 

adopt and implement Complete Streets 

policies that prioritize the safety of all 

users in transportation network 

planning, design, construction, and 

operations.10 A full transition to a 

Complete Streets design model requires 

leadership, identification and 

elimination of barriers, and 

development of new policies, rules, and 

procedures to prioritize safety. A 

Complete Street includes, but is not 

limited to: Sidewalks, curb ramps, bike 

lanes (or wide paved shoulders), special 

bus lanes, accessible public 

transportation stops, safe and 

accommodating crossing options, 

median islands, pedestrian signals, curb 

extensions, narrower travel lanes, and 

roundabouts.11 Recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

ensure the accessibility of pedestrian 

facilities in the public right-of-way. See 

Section F.2 of this NOFO for program 

requirements. 

The NOFO aligns with and considers 

Departmental policy priorities that have 

a nexus to roadway safety and grant 

funding. As part of the Department’s 

implementation of Executive Order 

14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at 

Home and Abroad (86 FR 7619), the 

Department seeks to fund applications 

that, to the extent possible, target at 

least 40 percent of benefits towards lowincome and underserved communities. 

DOT also seeks to award funds under 

the SS4A grant program that proactively 

address equity and barriers to 

opportunity, or redress prior inequities 

and barriers to opportunity. DOT 

supports the policies in Executive Order 

13985, Advancing Racial Equity and 

Support for Underserved Communities 

Through the Federal Government (86 FR 

7009), to pursue a comprehensive 

approach to advancing equity for all, 

including people of color, rural 

communities, and others who have been 

historically underserved, marginalized, 

and adversely affected by persistent 

poverty and inequality. An important 

area for DOT’s focus is the 

disproportionate, adverse safety impacts 

that affect certain groups on our 

roadways, particularly people walking 

and biking in underserved communities. 

See Section F.2.i of this NOFO for 

equity-related program requirements. 

As part of the United States’ 

commitment to a whole-of-government 

approach to reaching net-zero emissions 

economy-wide by 2050 and a 50–52 

percent reduction in emissions from 

2005 levels by 2030, BIL and its 

associated transportation funding 

programs permit historic investments to 

improve the resilience of transportation 

infrastructure, helping States and 

communities prepare for hazards such 

as wildfires, floods, storms, and 

droughts exacerbated by climate change. 

DOT’s goal is to encourage the 

advancement of projects and strategies 

that address climate change and 

sustainability. To enable this, the 

Department encourages applicants to 

consider climate change and 

sustainability throughout the planning 

and project development process, 

including the extent to which projects 

and strategies under the SS4A grant 

program align with the President’s 

greenhouse gas reduction, climate 

resilience, and environmental justice 

commitments. 

The Department intends to use the 

SS4A grant program to support the 

creation of good-paying jobs with the 

free and fair choice to join a union, and 

the incorporation of strong labor 

standards and workforce programs, in 

particular registered apprenticeships, 

joint labor-management programs, or 

other high-quality workforce training 

programs, including high-quality preapprenticeships tied to registered 

apprenticeships, in project planning 

stages and program delivery. Grant 

applications that incorporate such 

considerations support a strong 

economy and labor market. 

Consistent with the Department’s 

Rural Opportunities to Use 

Transportation for Economic Success 

(ROUTES) initiative, the Department 

seeks to award funding to rural 

applications that address 

disproportionately high fatality rates in 

rural communities. For applicants 

seeking to use innovative technologies 

and strategies, the Department’s 

Innovation Principles serve as a guide to 

ensure innovations reduce deaths and 

serious injuries while committing to the 

highest standards of safety across 

technologies.12

B. Federal Award Information 

1. Total Funding Available 

The BIL established the SS4A 

program with $5,000,000,000 in 

advanced appropriations in Division J, 

including $1,000,000,000 for FY 2022. 

Therefore, this Notice makes available 

up to $1 billion for FY 2022 grants 

under the SS4A program. Refer to 

Section D for greater detail on 

additional funding considerations and 

Section D.5 for funding restrictions. 

2. Availability of Funds 

Grant funding obligation occurs when 

a selected applicant and DOT enter into 

a written grant agreement after the 

applicant has satisfied applicable 

administrative requirements. Unless 

authorized by DOT in writing after 

DOT’s announcement of FY 2022 SS4A 

grant awards, any costs incurred prior to 

DOT’s obligation of funds for activities 

(‘‘pre-award costs’’) are ineligible for 

reimbursement. All FY 2022 SS4A 

funds must be expended within five 

years after the grant agreement is 

executed and DOT obligates the funds. 

3. Award Size and Anticipated Quantity 

In FY 2022, DOT expects to award 

hundreds of Action Plan Grants, and up 

to one hundred Implementation Grants. 

The Department reserves the right to 

make more, or fewer, awards. DOT 

reserves the discretion to alter minimum 

and maximum award sizes upon 


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13Current lists of Urbanized Areas are available 

on the U.S. Census Bureau website at http://

www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/uauc_

refmap/ua/. For the purposes of the SS4A program, 

Urbanized Areas with populations fewer than 

200,000 will be considered rural. 

14BIL specifically cites Countermeasures That 

Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for 

State Highway Safety Offices, Ninth Edition or any 

successor document, but DOT also is to consider 

applied research focused on infrastructure and 

operational projects and strategies. 

15https://www.sbir.gov/sites/default/files/ 

SF%20PPR.pdf. 

receiving the full pool of applications 

and assessing the needs of the program 

in relation to the SS4A grant priorities 

in Section A.3. 

i. Action Plan Grants 

For Action Plan Grants, award 

amounts will be based on estimated 

costs, with an expected minimum of 

$200,000 for all applicants, an expected 

maximum of $1,000,000 for a political 

subdivision of a State or a federally 

recognized Tribal government, and an 

expected maximum of $5,000,000 for a 

metropolitan planning organization 

(MPO) or a joint application comprised 

of a multijurisdictional group of entities 

that is regional in scope (e.g., a 

multijurisdictional group of counties, a 

council of governments and cities 

within the same region, etc.). The 

Department will consider applications 

with funding requests under the 

expected minimum award amount. DOT 

reserves the right to make Action Grant 

awards less than the total amount 

requested by the applicant. 

Joint applications that engage 

multiple jurisdictions in the same 

region are encouraged, in order to 

ensure collaboration across multiple 

jurisdictions and leverage the expertise 

of agencies with established financial 

relationships with DOT and knowledge 

of Federal grant administration 

requirements. Applicants may propose 

development of a single Action Plan 

covering all jurisdictions, or several 

plans for individual jurisdictions, 

administered by the leading agency. 

ii. Implementation Plan Grants 

For Implementation Grants, DOT 

expects the minimum award will be 

$5,000,000 and the maximum award 

will be $30,000,000 for political 

subdivisions of a State. For applicants 

who are federally recognized Tribal 

governments or applicants in rural 

areas, DOT expects the minimum award 

will be $3,000,000 and the maximum 

award will be $30,000,000. For an MPO 

or a joint application comprised of a 

multijurisdictional group of entities that 

is regional in scope, the expected 

maximum award will be $50,000,000. 

For the purposes of the SS4A grant 

program award size minimum, rural is 

defined as an area outside an Urbanized 

Area (UA) or located within a UA with 

a population of fewer than 200,000.13

DOT reserves the right to make 

Implementation Grant awards less than 

the total amount requested by the 

applicant. 

4. Start Dates and Period of 

Performance 

DOT expects to obligate SS4A award 

funding via a signed grant agreement 

between the Department and the 

recipient, as flexibly and expeditiously 

as possible, within 12 months after 

awards have been announced. 

Applicants who have never received 

Federal funding from DOT before are 

encouraged to partner with eligible 

applicants within the same region, such 

as an MPO, that have established 

financial relationships with DOT and 

knowledge of Federal grant 

administration requirements. While 

States are not eligible applicants and 

cannot be a co-applicant, eligible 

applicants are encouraged to separately 

partner with States and other entities 

experienced with administering Federal 

grants, outside of the SS4A grant award 

process, to ensure effective 

administration of a grant award. The 

expected period of performance for 

Action Plan Grant agreements is 

between 12 and 24 months. The period 

of performance for Implementation 

Grant agreements may not exceed five 

years. 

Because award recipients under this 

program may be first-time recipients of 

Federal funding, DOT is committed to 

implementing the program as flexibly as 

permitted by statute and to providing 

assistance to help award recipients 

through the process of securing a grant 

agreement and delivering both Action 

Plan activities and Implementation 

Grant projects and strategies. 

5. Data Collection Requirements 

Under the BIL, the Department shall 

post on a publicly available website best 

practices and lessons learned for 

preventing roadway fatalities and 

serious injuries pursuant to strategies or 

interventions implemented under SS4A. 

Additionally, DOT shall evaluate and 

incorporate, as appropriate, the 

effectiveness of strategies and 

interventions implemented under the 

SS4A grant program.14 The Department 

intends to measure safety outcomes 

through a combination of grant 

agreement activities and data 

collections, DOT data collections 

already underway, and program 

evaluations separate from the individual 

grant agreements in accordance with 

Section F.3.iii. The grant data-collection 

requirements reflect the need to build 

evidence of noteworthy strategies and 

what works. The Department expects to 

use the data and outcome information 

collected as part of the SS4A in 

evaluations focused on before and after 

studies. 

All award recipients shall submit a 

report that describes: 

• The costs of each eligible project 

and strategy carried out using the grant; 

• The roadway safety outcomes and 

any additional benefits (e.g., increased 

walking, biking, or transit use without a 

commensurate increase in crashes, etc.) 

that each such project and strategy has 

generated, as— 

Æ Identified in the grant application; 

and 

Æ Measured by data, to the maximum 

extent practicable; and 

• The lessons learned and any 

recommendations relating to future 

projects or strategies to prevent death 

and serious injury on roads and streets. 

All recipients must provide 

aggregated annual crash data on serious 

injuries and fatalities for the duration of 

the period of performance for the 

jurisdiction or jurisdictions for which 

funds were awarded. These data will 

provide the information for metrics on 

changes in serious injuries and fatalities 

over time. Implementation Grant 

recipients must also provide crash data 

on serious injury and fatalities in the 

locations where projects and strategies 

are implemented, which are expected to 

include crash characteristics and 

contributing factor information 

associated with the safety problems 

being addressed. Data that measure 

outcomes for the specific safety 

problems addressed are required and 

could include, but are not limited to, 

aggregated information by road user, 

safety issue, and demographic 

characteristics such as race and gender. 

For Implementation Grants that 

undertake projects and strategies to 

foster applied research and 

experimentation to inform project and 

strategy effectiveness, additional data 

collection requirements will be 

negotiated with the applicant before a 

grant agreement is established. 

Federally recognized Tribal 

governments receiving grants may 

request alternative data collection 

requirements during grant agreement 

formulation, as appropriate. This 

information will be gathered on a 

quarterly basis in a Performance 

Progress Report (SF–PPR).15


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16https://doi.org/10.21949/1520559. 

17United States. Department of Transportation. 

(2022) DOT Public Access [Home page]. https://

doi.org/10.21949/1503647. 

To fulfill the data collection 

requirements and in accordance with 

the U.S. DOT Public Access Plan, award 

recipients must consider, budget for, 

and implement appropriate data 

management, for data and information 

outputs acquired or generated during 

the course of the grant.16 17 Applicants 

are expected to account for data and 

performance reporting in their budget 

submission. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Eligible applicants for SS4A grants are 

(1) a metropolitan planning organization 

(MPO); (2) a political subdivision of a 

State or territory; (3) a federally 

recognized Tribal government; and (4) a 

multijurisdictional group of entities 

described in any of the aforementioned 

three types of entities. A 

multijurisdictional group of entities 

described in (4) should identify a lead 

applicant as the primary point of 

contact. For the purposes of this NOFO, 

a political subdivision of a State under 

(2), above, is defined as a unit of 

government under the authority of State 

law. This includes cities, towns, 

counties, special districts, and similar 

units of local government. A transit 

district, authority, or public benefit 

corporation is eligible if it was created 

under State law, including transit 

authorities operated by political 

subdivisions of a State. States are not 

eligible applicants, but DOT encourages 

applicants to coordinate with State 

entities, as appropriate. 

Eligible MPOs, transit agencies, and 

multijurisdictional groups of entities 

with a regional scope are encouraged to 

support subdivisions of a State such as 

cities, towns, and counties with smaller 

populations within their region. The 

Department strongly encourages such 

joint applications for Action Plan 

Grants, and for applicants who have 

never received Federal funding and can 

jointly apply with entities experienced 

executing DOT grants. 

An eligible applicant for 

Implementation Grants must also meet 

at least one of these conditions: (1) Have 

ownership and/or maintenance 

responsibilities over a roadway network; 

(2) have safety responsibilities that 

affect roadways; or (3) have agreement 

from the agency that has ownership 

and/or maintenance responsibilities for 

the roadway within the applicant’s 

jurisdiction. For the purposes of this 

NOFO, an applicant’s jurisdiction is 

defined as the U.S. Census tracts where 

the applicant operates or performs their 

safety responsibilities. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

The Federal share of a SS4A grant 

may not exceed 80 percent of total 

eligible activity costs. Recipients are 

required to contribute a local matching 

share of no less than 20 percent of 

eligible activity costs. All matching 

funds must be from non-Federal 

sources. In accordance with 2 CFR 

200.306, grant recipients may use inkind or cash contributions toward local 

match requirements so long as those 

contributions meet the requirements 

under 2 CFR 200.306(b). Matching funds 

may include funding from the applicant, 

or other SS4A-eligible non-Federal 

sources partnering with the applicant, 

which could include, but is not limited 

to, funds from the State. Any in-kind 

contributions used to fulfill the costshare requirement for Action Plan and 

Implementation Grants must: Be in 

accordance with the cost principles in 2 

CFR 200 subpart E; include documented 

evidence of completion within the 

period of performance; and support the 

execution of the eligible activities in 

Section C.4. 

SS4A funds will reimburse recipients 

only after a grant agreement has been 

executed, allowable expenses are 

incurred, and valid requests for 

reimbursement are submitted. Grant 

agreements are expected to be 

administered on a reimbursement basis, 

and at the Department’s discretion 

alternative funding arrangements may 

be established on a case-by-case basis. 

3. Grant Eligibility Requirements 

If an applicant is eligible for both an 

Action Plan Grant and an 

Implementation Grant, the applicant 

may only apply for an Action Plan Grant 

or an Implementation Grant, not both. 

An eligible applicant may only submit 

one application to the funding 

opportunity. Action Plan Grant funding 

recipients are not precluded from 

applying for Implementation Grants in 

future funding rounds. 

i. Action Plan Grant Eligibility 

Requirements 

The Action Plan Grant eligibility 

requirements are contingent on whether 

an applicant is requesting funds to 

develop or complete an Action Plan, or 

if the applicant is requesting funds for 

supplemental action plan activities. 

Applicants may not apply to develop or 

complete an Action Plan and fund 

supplemental action plan activities in 

the current round of funding. 

(a) Eligibility Requirements To Develop 

or Complete an Action Plan 

Any applicant that meets the 

eligibility requirements may apply for 

an Action Plan Grant to develop or 

complete an Action Plan. Applicants 

with an existing Action Plan may also 

apply to develop a new Action Plan. 

(b) Eligibility Requirements for 

Supplemental Action Plan Activities 

Applicants for Action Plan Grants to 

fund supplemental action plan activities 

must either have an established Action 

Plan with all components described in 

Table 1 in Section A, or an existing plan 

that is substantially similar and meets 

the eligibility requirements. Table 2 

below provides instructions to 

determine eligibility for applicants that 

have a substantially similar plan. The 

components required for an established 

plan to be substantially similar to an 

Action Plan may be found in multiple 

plans. State-level action plans (e.g., a 

Strategic Highway Safety Plan required 

in 23 U.S. Code (U.S.C.) § 148, State 

Highway Safety Plans required in 23 

U.S.C. 402, etc.) or Public 

Transportation Agency Safety Plans in 

49 U.S.C. 5329 cannot be used as an 

established plan. It is recommended that 

applicants include this eligibility 

worksheet as part of their narrative 

submission. If this Self-Certification 

Eligibility Worksheet is not used, 

applicants must describe how their 

established plan is substantially similar 

to an Action Plan as part of the 

Narrative, based on the criteria in Table 

2 below. 


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TABLE 2—SELF-CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY WORKSHEET

Worksheet instructions: The purpose of the worksheet is to determine whether an applicant’s existing plan is substantially similar to an Action 

Plan, or not. For each question below, answer yes or no. For each yes, cite the specific page in your existing Action Plan or other plan/plans 

that corroborate your response, provide supporting documentation, or provide other evidence. Refer to Table 1 for further details on each 

component. Note: The term Action Plan is used in this worksheet; it covers either a stand-alone Action Plan or components of other plans 

that combined comprise an Action Plan. 

Instructions to affirm eligibility: Based on the questions in this eligibility worksheet, an applicant is eligible to apply for an Action Plan Grant that 

funds supplemental action plan activities, or an Implementation Grant, if the following two conditions are met: 

• Questions 3, 7, and 9 are answered ‘‘yes.’’ If Question 3, 7, or 9 is answered ‘‘no,’’ the plan is not substantially similar and ineligible to 

apply for Action Plan funds specifically for a supplemental action plan activity, nor an Implementation Grant. 

• At least four of the six remaining Questions are answered ‘‘yes’’ (Questions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, or 8). 

If both conditions are met, an applicant has a substantially similar plan. 

Question Response, document 

and page No. 

1. Are both of the following true: 

• Did a high-ranking official and/or governing body in the jurisdiction publicly commit to an eventual goal of zero 

roadway fatalities and serious injuries? 

• Did the commitment include either setting a target date to reach zero, OR setting one or more targets to achieve 

significant declines in roadway fatalities and serious injuries by a specific date? 

2. To develop the Action Plan, was a committee, task force, implementation group, or similar body established and 

charged with the plan’s development, implementation, and monitoring? 

3. Does the Action Plan include all of the following? 

• Analysis of existing conditions and historical trends to baseline the level of crashes involving fatalities and serious 

injuries across a jurisdiction, locality, Tribe, or region; 

• Analysis of the location(s) where there are crashes, the severity, as well as contributing factors and crash types; 

• Analysis of systemic and specific safety needs is also performed, as needed (e.g., high risk road features, specific safety needs of relevant road users; and 

• A geospatial identification (geographic or locational data using maps) of higher risk locations. 

4. Did the Action Plan development include all of the following activities? 

• Engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and community groups; 

• Incorporation of information received from the engagement and collaboration into the plan; and 

• Coordination that included inter- and intra- governmental cooperation and collaboration, as appropriate 

5. Did the Action Plan development include all of the following? 

• Considerations of equity using inclusive and representative processes; 

• The identification of underserved communities through data; and 

• Equity analysis, in collaboration with appropriate partners, focused on initial equity impact assessments of the 

proposed projects and strategies, and population characteristics 

6. Are both of the following true? 

• The plan development included an assessment of current policies, plans, guidelines, and/or standards to identify 

opportunities to improve how processes prioritize safety; and 

• The plan discusses implementation through the adoption of revised or new policies, guidelines, and/or standards. 

7. Does the plan identify a comprehensive set of projects and strategies to address the safety problems identified in the 

Action Plan, time ranges when the strategies and projects will be deployed, and explain project prioritization criteria? 

8. Does the plan include all of the following? 

• A description of how progress will be measured over time that includes, at a minimum, outcome data 

• The plan is posted publicly online. 

9. Was the plan finalized and/or last updated between 2017 and 2022? 

ii. Implementation Grant Eligibility 

Requirements 

To apply for an Implementation 

Grant, the applicant must certify that 

they have an existing plan which is 

substantially similar to an Action Plan. 

The plan or plans should be uploaded 

as an attachment to your application. 

Use Table 2, Self-Certification Eligibility 

Worksheet, from the previous section to 

determine eligibility. The existing plan 

must be focused, at least in part, on the 

roadway network within the applicant’s 

jurisdiction. The components required 

for an existing plan to be substantially 

similar to an Action Plan may be found 

in multiple plans. State-level action 

plans (e.g., a Strategic Highway Safety 

Plan required in 23 U.S.C. 148, State 

Highway Safety Plans required in 23 

U.S.C. 402, Commercial Vehicle Safety 

Plans required in 49 U.S.C. 31102, etc.) 

as well as Public Transportation Agency 

Safety Plans in 49 U.S.C. 5329 cannot be 

used as an established plan to apply for 

an Implementation Grant. 

4. Eligible Activities and Costs 

i. Eligible Activities 

Broadly, eligible activity costs must 

comply with the cost principles set forth 

in with 2 CFR, Subpart E (i.e., 2 CFR 

200.403 and § 200.405). DOT reserves 

the right to make cost eligibility 

determinations on a case-by-case basis. 

Eligible activities for grant funding 

include the following three elements: 

• (A) Developing a comprehensive 

safety action plan or Action Plan (i.e., 

the activities outlined in Section A.2.i 

in Table 1 and the list of supplemental 

Action Plan activities); 

• (B) conducting planning, design, 

and development activities for projects 

and strategies identified in an Action 

Plan; and 

• (C) carrying out projects and 

strategies identified in an Action Plan. 

For Action Plan Grants, eligible 

activities and costs only include those 

that directly assist in the development 

of the Action Plan, element (A), and/or 

supplemental action plan activities in 

support of an existing Action Plan or 

plans. 

For Implementation Grants, activities 

must include element (C) ‘‘carrying out 

projects and strategies identified in an 

Action Plan,’’ and may include element 

(B) ‘‘conducting planning, design, and 

development activities for projects and 


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18For one such example see https://

cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p157- 

pub.pdf. 

strategies identified in an Action Plan’’ 

and/or element (A) ‘‘supplemental 

action plan activities in support of an 

existing Action Plan.’’ Projects and 

strategies identified in element (C) must 

be either infrastructure, behavioral, or 

operational activities identified in the 

Action Plan, and must be directly 

related to addressing the safety 

problem(s) identified in the application 

and Action Plan. Examples of eligible 

Implementation Grant activities are 

listed on the SS4A website located at 

www.transportation.gov/SS4A. The 

following activities are not eligible for 

element (C) ‘‘projects and strategies’’ 

funding: 

• Projects and strategies whose 

primary purpose is not roadway safety. 

• Projects and strategies exclusively 

focused on non-roadway modes of 

transportation, including air, rail, 

marine, and pipeline. Roadway 

intersections with other modes of 

transportation (e.g., at-grade highway 

rail crossings, etc.) are eligible activities. 

• Capital projects to construct new 

roadways used for motor vehicles. New 

roadways exclusively for non-motorists 

is an eligible activity if the primary 

purpose is safety-related. 

• Infrastructure projects primarily 

intended to expand capacity to improve 

Levels of Service for motorists on an 

existing roadway, such as the creation of 

additional lanes. 

• Maintenance activities for an 

existing roadway primarily to maintain 

a state of good repair. However, 

roadway modifications on an existing 

roadway in support of specific safetyrelated projects identified in an Action 

Plan are eligible activities. 

• Development or implementation of 

a public transportation agency safety 

plan (PTASP) required by 49 U.S.C. 

5329. However, a PTASP that identifies 

and addresses risks to pedestrians, 

bicyclists, personal conveyance and 

micromobility users, transit riders, and 

others may inform Action Plan 

development. 

All projects and strategies must have 

equity—the consistent, fair, just, and 

impartial treatment of all people—at 

their foundation. This includes traffic 

enforcement strategies. As part of the 

Safe System Approach adopted in the 

USDOT’s National Roadway Safety 

Strategy, any activities related to 

compliance or enforcement efforts to 

make our roads safer should 

affirmatively improve equity outcomes 

as part of a comprehensive approach to 

achieve zero roadway fatalities and 

serious injuries. The SS4A program can 

be used to support safety projects and 

strategies that address serious safety 

violations of drivers (e.g., speeding, 

alcohol and drug-impaired driving, etc.), 

so long as the proposed strategies are 

data-driven and demonstrate a process 

in alignment with goals around 

community policing and in accordance 

with Federal civil rights laws and 

regulations.18

Funds may not be used, either 

directly or indirectly, to support or 

oppose union organizing. 

ii. Project and Strategy Location 

For Implementation Grants, 

applications must identify the problems 

to be addressed, the relevant geographic 

locations, and the projects and strategies 

they plan to implement, based on their 

Action Plan or established plan. This 

should include specific intervention 

types to the extent practicable. To 

provide flexibility in the 

implementation of projects and 

strategies that involve systemic safety 

strategies or bundling of similar 

countermeasures, an applicant may wait 

to specify specific site locations and 

designs for the projects and strategies as 

part of executing the grant agreement, if 

necessary, upon approval of the 

Department and so long as the identified 

site locations and designs remain 

consistent with the intent of the award. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package 

All grant application materials can be 

accessed at grants.gov. Applicants must 

submit their applications via grants.gov 

under the Notice of Funding 

Opportunity Number cited herein. 

Potential applicants may also request 

paper copies of materials at: 

Telephone: (202) 366–4114. 

Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, W84–322, Washington, DC 

20590. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

The Action Plan Grant and 

Implementation Grant have different 

application submission and supporting 

document requirements. 

i. Action Plan Grant Application 

Submissions 

All Action Plan Grant applications 

must submit the following Standard 

Forms (SFs): 

• Application for Federal Assistance 

(SF–424) 

• Budget Information for NonConstruction Programs (SF–424A) 

• Assurances for Non-Construction 

Programs (SF–424B) 

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF– 

LLL) 

In addition to the SFs above, the 

applicant must provide: (a) Key 

Information; (b) Narrative; (c) SelfCertification Eligibility Worksheet, if 

applying for action plan supplemental 

activities; (d) Map; and (e) Budget. 

While it is not required to conform to 

the recommended templates below, it is 

strongly encouraged to provide the 

information using the specific structure 

provided in this NOFO. 

(a) Key Information Table 

Lead Applicant 

If Multijurisdictional, additional eligible entities jointly applying 

Total jurisdiction population 

Count of motor-vehicle-involved roadway fatalities from 2016 to 2020 

Fatality rate 


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19https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatalityanalysis-reporting-system-fars. To query the FARS 

data see https://cdan.dot.gov/query. To query the 

FARS data see https://cdan.dot.gov/query. For the 

Census data visit https://www.census.gov/programs

-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summaryfiles.html. 

20https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/ 

tsyd-k6ij. 

Population in Underserved Communities 

States(s) in which projects and strategies are located 

Costs by State (if project spans more than one State) 

Instructions for (a): 

• The lead applicant is the primary 

jurisdiction, and the lead eligible entity 

applying for the grant. 

• If the application is 

multijurisdictional, list additional 

eligible entities within the 

multijurisdictional group of entities. If a 

single applicant, mark as not applicable. 

• Total jurisdiction population is 

based on 2020 U.S. Census data and 

includes the total population of all 

Census tracts where the applicant 

operates or performs their safety 

responsibilities. 

• The count of roadway fatalities 

from 2016 to 2020 in the jurisdiction 

based on DOT’s Fatality Analysis 

Reporting System (FARS) data, an 

alternative traffic fatality dataset, or a 

comparable data set with roadway 

fatality information.19 This should be a 

number. Cite the source, if using a 

dataset different from FARS, with a link 

to the data if publicly available. 

• The fatality rate, calculated using 

the average from the total count of 

fatalities from 2016 to 2020 based on 

FARS data, an alternative traffic fatality 

dataset, or a comparable data set with 

roadway fatality information, which is 

divided by the population of the 

applicant’s jurisdiction based on 2020 

U.S. Census population data. This 

should be a number. Cite the source, if 

using a dataset different from FARS. 

• Check one of the three available 

boxes to the right of the column with 

the three Action Plan types: New Action 

Plan; Action Plan completion; or 

supplemental action plan activities. 

• The population in underserved 

communities should be a percentage 

obtained by dividing the population 

living in Census tracts with an 

Underserved Community designation 

divided by the total population living in 

the jurisdiction.20 For multijurisdictional groups, provide this 

information for each jurisdiction in the 

group. 

• Note the State(s) of the applicants. 

If a federally recognized Tribal 

government, mark as not applicable. 

• Allocate funding request amounts 

by State based on where the funds are 

expected to be spent. If the projects and 

strategies are located in only one State, 

put the full funding request amount. 

(c) Narrative 

In narrative form, the applicant 

should respond to the Action Plan Grant 

selection criteria described in Section 

E.1.i to affirm whether the applicant has 

considered certain activities that will 

enhance the implementation of an 

Action Plan once developed or updated. 

The narrative must be no longer than 

300 words. 

(d) Self-Certification Eligibility 

Worksheet 

If applying for Action Plan Grant 

funding supplemental action plan 

activities, attach the filled out Table 2 

Self-Certification Eligibility Worksheet. 

If applying to develop or complete an 

Action Plan, do not include Table 2. 

(e) Map 

The applicant must submit a map that 

shows the location of the jurisdiction 

and highlights the roadway network 

under the applicant’s jurisdiction. The 

permissible formats include: Map web 

link (e.g., Google, Bing, etc.), PDF, image 

file, vector file, or shapefile. 

(f) Budget 

Applicants are required to provide a 

brief budget summary and a high-level 

overview of estimated activity costs, as 

organized by all major cost elements. 

The budget only includes costs 

associated with the eligible activity (A) 

developing a comprehensive safety 

action plan and may include 

supplemental action plan activities. 

Funding sources should be grouped into 

two categories: SS4A Funding Federal 

share, and non-Federal share funds. The 

costs or value of in-kind matches should 

also be provided. This budget should 

not include any previously incurred 

expenses, or costs to be incurred before 

the time of award. DOT requires 

applicants use SF–424A to provide this 

information. 

ii. Implementation Grant Application 

Submissions 

Implementation Grant applications 

must submit the following Standard 

Forms (SFs): 

• Application for Federal Assistance 

(SF–424) 

• Budget Information for Construction 

Programs (SF–424C) 

• Assurances for Construction Programs 

(SF–424D) 

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF– 

LLL) 

In addition to the SFs above, the 

applicant must provide: (a) Key 

Information; (b) Narrative; (c) SelfCertification Eligibility Worksheet; and 

(d) Budget. While it is not required to 

conform to the recommended template 

in the Key Information Table below, it 

is strongly encouraged to provide the 

information using the specific structure 

provided in this NOFO. 

(a) Key Information Table 

Application Name 

Lead Applicant 

If Multijurisdictional, additional eligible entities jointly applying 


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Roadway safety responsibility: 

Ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities over a roadway 

network 

Safety responsibilities that affect roadways 

Have an agreement from the agency that has ownership and/or 

maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction 

Population in Underserved Communities 

States(s) in which activities are located 

Costs by State 

Funds to Underserved Communities 

Cost total for eligible activity (A) supplemental action plan activities in 

support of an existing Action Plan 

Cost total for eligible activity (B) conducting planning, design, and development activities for projects and strategies identified in an Action 

Plan 

Cost total for eligible activity (C) carrying out projects and strategies 

identified in an Action Plan 

Action Plan or Established Plan Link 

Instructions for (a): 

• Provide a grant application name to 

accompany the grant application. 

• The lead applicant is the primary 

jurisdiction, and the lead eligible entity 

applying for the grant. 

• If the application is 

multijurisdictional, list additional 

eligible entities within the 

multijurisdictional group of entities. If a 

single applicant, leave blank. 

• The roadway safety responsibility 

response should check one of the three 

answers to meet eligibility conditions. 

• The population in Underserved 

Community Census Tracts should be a 

percentage number obtained by dividing 

the population living in Underserved 

Community Census tracts within the 

jurisdiction divided by the total 

population living in the jurisdiction. 

• Identify State(s) in which the 

applicant is located in. If a federally 

recognized Tribal government, leave 

blank. 

• The total amount of funds to 

underserved communities is the amount 

of spent in, and provide safety benefits 

to, locations in census tracts designated 

as underserved communities. 

• For each State, allocate funding 

request amounts divided up by State 

based on where the funds are expected 

to be spent. If the applicant is located 

in in only one State, put the full funding 

request amount only. 

• Provide a weblink to the plan that 

serves as the Action Plan or established 

plan that is substantially similar. This 

may be attached as a supporting PDF 

document instead; if so please write 

‘‘See Supporting Documents.’’ 

(b) Narrative 

The Department recommends that the 

narrative follows the outline below to 

address the program requirements and 

assist evaluators in locating relevant 

information. The narrative may not 

exceed 10 pages in length, excluding 

cover pages and the table of contents. 

Key information, the Self-Certification 

Eligibility Worksheet, and Budget 

sections do not count towards the 10- 

page limit. Appendices may include 

documents supporting assertions or 

conclusions made in the 10-page 

narrative and also do not count towards 

the 10-page limit. If possible, website 

links to supporting documentation 

should be provided rather than copies of 

these supporting materials. If supporting 

documents are submitted, applicants 

should clearly identify within the 

narrative the relevance of each 

supporting document. 

I. Overview ...................... See D.2.ii.b.I. 

II. Location ...................... See D.2.ii.b.II. 

III. Response to Selection 

Criteria.

See D.2.ii.b.III and Section E.1.ii. 

IV. Project Readiness ..... See D.2.ii.b.IV. 

I. Overview 

This section should provide an 

introduction, describe the safety 

context, jurisdiction, and any high-level 

background information that would be 

useful to understand the rest of the 

application. 

II. Location 

This section of the application should 

describe the jurisdiction’s location, the 

jurisdiction’s High-Injury Network or 

equivalent geospatial identification 

(geographic or locational data using 

maps) of higher risk locations, and 

potential locations and corridors of the 

projects and strategies. Note that the 

applicant is not required to provide 


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exact locations for each project or 

strategy; rather, the application should 

identify which geographic locations are 

under consideration for projects and 

strategies to be implemented and what 

analysis will be used in a final 

determination. 

III. Response to Selection Criteria 

This section should respond to the 

criteria for evaluation and selection in 

Section E.1.ii of this Notice and include 

compelling narrative to highlight how 

the application aligns with criteria #1 

Safety Impact; #2 Equity, Engagement, 

and Collaboration; #3 Effective Practices 

and Strategies; and #4 Climate Change 

and Sustainability, and Economic 

Competitiveness. Note, criterion #1 

Safety Impact assesses ‘‘implementation 

cost’’ information, which will be 

described in SF–424C and the (d) 

Budget of the narrative and does not 

need to be duplicated in this portion of 

the narrative. 

The applicant must respond to each of 

the four criteria. Applicants are not 

required to follow a specific format, but 

the organization provided, which 

addresses each criterion separately, 

promotes a clear discussion that assists 

evaluators. To minimize redundant 

information in the application, the 

Department encourages applicants to 

cross-reference from this section of their 

application to relevant substantive 

information in other sections of the 

application. To the extent practical, 

DOT encourages applicants to use and 

reference existing content from their 

Action Plan/established plan(s) to 

demonstrate their comprehensive, 

evidence-based approach to improving 

safety. 

IV. Project Readiness 

The applicant must provide 

information to demonstrate the 

applicant’s ability to substantially 

execute and complete the full scope of 

work in the application proposal within 

five years of when the grant is executed, 

with a particular focus on design and 

construction, as well as environmental, 

permitting, and approval processes. 

Applicants should indicate if they will 

be seeking permission to use roadway 

design standards that are different from 

those generally applied by the State in 

which the project is located. As part of 

this portion of the narrative, the 

applicant must include a detailed 

activity schedule that identifies all 

major project and strategy milestones. 

Examples of such milestones include: 

State and local planning approvals; start 

and completion of National 

Environmental Policy Act and other 

Federal environmental reviews and 

approvals including permitting; design 

completion; right of way acquisition; 

approval of plans, specifications, and 

estimates; procurement; State and local 

approvals; public involvement; 

partnership and implementation 

agreements; and construction. 

Environmental review documentation 

should describe in detail known project 

impacts, and possible mitigation for 

those impacts. When a project results in 

impacts, it is expected an award 

recipient will take steps to engage the 

public. For additional guidance and 

resources, visit www.transportation.gov/ 

SS4A. 

(c) Self-Certification Eligibility 

Worksheet 

Attach a completed Table 2: SelfCertification Eligibility Worksheet. 

(d) Budget 

This section of the application should 

describe the budget for the SS4A 

proposal. Applicants are required to 

provide a brief budget summary and 

provide a high-level overview of 

estimated activity costs, as organized by 

all major cost elements. The budget 

should provide itemized estimates of 

the costs of the proposed projects and 

strategies at the individual component 

level. This includes capital costs for 

infrastructure safety improvements and 

costs associated with behavioral and 

operational safety projects and 

strategies. The section should also 

distinguish between the three eligible 

activity areas: (A) Supplementing action 

plan activities in support of an existing 

Action Plan; (B) conducting planning, 

design, and development activities for 

projects and strategies identified in an 

Action Plan; and (C) carrying out 

projects and strategies identified in an 

Action Plan. 

Funding sources should be grouped 

into two categories: SS4A funding 

Federal share, and non-Federal share 

funds. Estimated costs or value of inkind matches should also be provided. 

The budget should show how each 

source of funds will be spent. This 

budget should not include any 

previously incurred expenses, or costs 

to be incurred before the time of award 

and obligation because these expenses 

are not eligible for reimbursement or 

cost-sharing. If non-Federal share funds 

or in-kind contributions are from 

entities who are not the applicant, 

include commitment letters or evidence 

of allocated cost share as a supporting 

document. DOT requires applicants use 

form SF–424C, and the applicant must 

also provide the information in Table 3 

below. 

TABLE 3—SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET

Subtotal Budget for (A) supplemental action plan activities ............................................................................................................... $0.00 

Itemized Estimated Costs of the (A) supplemental action plan activities 

Item #1 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Item #2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Subtotal Budget for (B) conducting planning, design, and development activities ..................................................................... $0.00 

Itemized Estimated Costs of the (B) planning, design, and development activities 

Item #1 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Item #2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Item #3 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Subtotal Budget for (C) carrying out projects and strategies ...................................................................................................... $0.00 

Itemized Estimated Costs of the (C) proposed projects and strategies 

Item #1 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Item #2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 


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21Funding for Tribal lands will be treated as their 

own State and will not count toward a State’s 15% 

limit. 22https://cdan.dot.gov/query. 

23https://usdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/ 

dashboards/d6f90dfcc8b44525b04c7ce748a3674a. 

TABLE 3—SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET—Continued 

Item #3 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Item #4 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. $0.00 

Subtotal Funds to Underserved Communities ............................................................................................................................. $0.00 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System 

for Award Management (SAM) 

Each applicant is required to: (i) Be 

registered in SAM (https://sam.gov/ 

content/home) before submitting its 

application; (ii) provide a valid unique 

entity identifier in its application; and 

(iii) continue to maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information at 

all times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application or plan 

under consideration by a Federal 

awarding agency. DOT may not make a 

Federal award to an applicant until the 

applicant has complied with all 

applicable unique entity identifier and 

SAM requirements and, if an applicant 

has not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time DOT is ready 

to make an award, DOT may determine 

that the applicant is not qualified to 

receive an award and use that 

determination as a basis for making an 

award to another applicant. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

Applications must be submitted by 

5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, September 

15, 2022. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

Per BIL requirements, not more than 

15 percent of the funds made available 

to carry out the SS4A program in FY22 

may be awarded to eligible applicants in 

a single State.21 In addition, 40 percent 

of the total FY22 funds made available 

must be for developing and updating a 

comprehensive safety action plan, or 

supplemental action plan activities. 

6. Other Submission Requirements 

The format of the Section D.2 

application submission should be in 

PDF format, with font size no less than 

12-point Times New Roman, margins a 

minimum of 1 inch on all sides, and 

include page numbers. 

The complete application must be 

submitted via grants.gov. In the event of 

system problems or the applicant 

experiences technical difficulties, 

contact grants.gov technical support via 

telephone at 1–800–518–4726 or email 

at support@grants.gov. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria 

This section specifies the criteria DOT 

will use to evaluate and select 

applications for SS4A grant awards. The 

Department will review merit criteria 

for all applications. Each of the two 

grant types to be made available through 

the SS4A grant program, Action Plan 

Grant and Implementation Grant, will 

have its own set of application review 

and selection criteria. 

i. Action Plan Grant Selection Criteria 

For Action Plan Grants, the 

Department will use three evaluation 

criteria. The Department will evaluate 

quantitative data in two selection 

criteria areas: #1 Safety Impact; and #2 

Equity. The Department will also assess 

the narrative for #3 Additional Safety 

Considerations. Costs will also be 

considered. 

Selection Criterion #1: Safety Impact. 

The activities are in jurisdictions that 

will likely support a significant 

reduction or elimination of roadway 

fatalities and serious injuries involving 

various road users, including 

pedestrians, bicyclists, public 

transportation users, personal 

conveyance and micromobility users, 

motorists, and commercial operators, 

within the timeframe proposed by the 

applicant. The Department will assess 

safety impact using two quantitative 

ratings: 

• The count of roadway fatalities 

from 2016 to 2020 based on DOT’s 

FARS data, an alternative traffic crash 

dataset, or a comparable data set with 

roadway fatality information.22

• The fatality rate, which is 

calculating using the average from the 

total count of fatalities from 2016 to 

2020 (based on FARS data or an 

alternative traffic crash dataset) divided 

by the 2020 population of the 

applicant’s jurisdiction based on 2020 

U.S. Census population data. 

Selection Criterion #2: Equity. The 

activities will ensure equitable 

investment in the safety needs of 

underserved communities in preventing 

roadway fatalities and injuries, 

including rural communities. The 

Department will assess the equity 

criterion using one quantitative rating: 

• The percentage of the population in 

the applicant’s jurisdiction that resides 

in an Underserved Community Census 

tract.23 Population of a Census tract, 

either a tract that is Underserved 

Community or not, must be based on 

2020 U.S. Census population data. 

Selection Criterion #3: Additional 

Safety Considerations. The Department 

will assess whether the applicant has 

considered any of the following in the 

development of the Action Plan: 

• Employ low-cost, high-impact 

strategies that can improve safety over a 

wider geographical area; 

• Engage with a variety of public and 

private stakeholders (e.g., inclusive 

community engagement, community 

benefit agreements, etc.); 

• Seek to adopt innovative 

technologies or strategies to promote 

safety and equity; and 

• Include evidence-based projects or 

strategies. 

The applicant must address these 

considerations in narrative form. 

Additional Consideration: Budget Costs 

The Department will assess the extent 

to which the budget and costs to 

perform the activities required to 

execute the Action Plan Grant are 

reasonable based on 2 CFR 200.404. 

ii. Implementation Grant Selection 

Criteria 

Implementation Grants have four 

merit criteria: #1 Safety Impact; #2 

Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration; 

#3 Effective Practices and Strategies; 

and #4 Climate Change and Economic 

Competitiveness. Two additional 

considerations will also be used in the 

selection process: Project Readiness, 

and Funds to Underserved 

Communities. The response to each 

criterion, to the extent practicable, 

should be aligned with the applicant’s 

Action Plan. Below describes the 

specific content the applicant should 

respond to for each of these criteria. 

Selection Criterion #1: Safety Impact. 

DOT will assess whether the proposal is 

likely to: Significantly reduce or 

eliminate roadway fatalities and serious 

injuries; employ low-cost, high-impact 

strategies over a wide geographic area; 

and include evidence-based projects 

and strategies. Safety impact is the most 


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24https://www.access-board.gov/prowag/. 

25https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ 

provencountermeasures/. 

26https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/ 

2021-09/Countermeasures-10th_080621_v5_tag.pdf. 

important criterion and will be weighed 

more heavily in the review and 

selection process. The Department will 

assess the applicant’s description of the 

safety problem, safety impact 

assessment, and costs as part of the 

Safety Impact criterion: 

• Description of the safety problem. 

DOT will assess the extent to which: 

Æ The safety problem is described, 

including historical trends, fatal and 

serious injury crash locations, 

contributing factors, and crash types by 

category of road user. 

Æ Crashes and/or crash risk are 

displayed in a High-Injury Network, hot 

spot analysis, or similar geospatial risk 

visualization. 

Æ Safety risk is summarized from risk 

models, hazard analysis, the 

identification of high-risk roadway 

features, road safety audits/assessments, 

and/or other proactive safety analyses. 

• Safety impact assessment. DOT will 

assess the extent to which projects and 

strategies: 

Æ Align with and address the 

identified safety problems. 

Æ Are supported by evidence to 

significantly reduce or eliminate 

roadway fatalities and serious injuries 

involving various road users, including 

pedestrians, bicyclists, public 

transportation users, personal 

conveyance and micromobility users, 

motorists, and commercial vehicle 

operators. 

Æ Use low-cost, high-impact strategies 

and projects that can improve safety 

over a wider geographical area. 

Æ Measure safety impact through 

models, studies, reports, proven 

noteworthy practices, Crash 

Modification Factors (CMF), and other 

information on project and strategy 

effectiveness. 

Æ Include a multi-disciplinary, 

systemic approach that relies on 

redundancies to reduce safety risks. 

Æ Will have safety benefits that 

persist over time. 

• Implementation Costs. DOT will 

assess the extent to which projects and 

strategies are itemized and summarized, 

including capital costs for 

infrastructure, behavioral, and 

operational safety improvements. 

Selection Criterion #2: Equity, 

Engagement, and Collaboration. This 

criterion supports the legislative 

requirements to assess the extent to 

which the application ensures the 

equitable investment in the safety needs 

of underserved communities, and 

demonstrates engagement with a variety 

of public and private stakeholders. The 

response to this criterion should focus 

on equity, engagement, and 

collaboration in relation to the 

implementation of the projects and 

strategies. DOT will assess the extent to 

which projects and strategies: 

• Ensure equitable investment in 

underserved communities in preventing 

roadway fatalities and serious injuries, 

including rural communities. 

• Are designed to decrease existing 

disparities identified through equity 

analysis. 

• Consider key population groups 

(e.g., people in underserved 

communities, children, seniors, Black, 

Latino, Indigenous and Native 

Americans, Asian Americans and 

Pacific Islanders, other persons of color, 

persons with disabilities, persons who 

live in rural areas, and persons 

otherwise adversely affected by 

persistent poverty or inequality) to 

ensure the impact to these groups is 

understood and addressed. 

• Include equity analysis, both 

quantitative and qualitative, and 

stakeholder engagement in underserved 

communities as part of the development 

and implementation process. 

• Include meaningful engagement 

with the public, including public 

involvement for underserved 

communities, community benefit 

agreements, and relevant stakeholders 

such as private sector and community 

groups, as part of implementation. 

• Leverage partnerships within their 

jurisdiction, with other government 

entities, non-governmental 

organizations, the private sector, 

academic institutions, and/or other 

relevant stakeholders to achieve safety 

benefits while preventing unintended 

consequences for persons living in the 

jurisdiction. 

• Inform representatives from areas 

impacted on implementation progress 

and meaningfully engage over time to 

evaluate the impact of projects and 

strategies on persons living in the 

jurisdiction. 

• Align with the equity analysis 

performed as part of the development of 

an existing Action Plan. 

Selection Criterion #3: Effective 

Practices and Strategies. DOT will 

assess the extent to which the 

application employs low-cost, highimpact strategies that can improve 

safety over a wide geographical area, 

includes evidence-based projects or 

strategies that improve safety, and seeks 

to adopt innovative technologies or 

strategies to promote safety and equity. 

The response to this criterion needs to 

address, at a minimum, one of the four 

effective practices and strategies from 

the list below, which includes: Create a 

safer community; Safe System 

Approach; Complete Streets; and 

innovative practices and technologies. If 

the applicant responds to more than one 

of the four options, the option that is 

rated highest in the review process will 

be used for the rating of this criterion. 

• Create a safer community. DOT will 

assess the extent to which the projects 

and strategies: 

Æ Establish basic, evidence-based 

roadway safety infrastructure features, 

including but not limited to sidewalks 

and separated bicycle lanes. 

Æ Improve safety for all road users 

along a roadway network using 

proposed Public-Rights-of-Way 

Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).24

Æ Use evidence-based, proven, and 

effective safety countermeasures to 

significantly improve existing 

roadways.25

Æ Use evidence-based 

Countermeasures that Work with four or 

five stars to address persistent 

behavioral safety issues and consider 

equity in their implementation.26

Æ Apply systemic safety practices that 

involve widely implemented 

improvements based on high-risk 

roadway features correlated with 

particular severe crash types. 

• Safe System Approach. DOT will 

assess the extent to which the projects 

and strategies: 

Æ Encompass at least two of the five 

safety elements in the National 

Roadway Safety Strategy (Safer People, 

Safer Roads, Safer Speeds, Safer 

Vehicles, and Post-Crash Care). This 

may include a mix of infrastructure, 

behavioral, and operational safety 

projects and strategies. 

Æ Create a transportation system that 

accounts for and mitigates human 

mistakes. 

Æ Incorporate data-driven design 

features that are human-centric, limit 

kinetic energy, and are selected based 

on the physical limits of people’s crash 

tolerances before injury or death occurs. 

Æ Support actions and activities 

identified in the Department’s National 

Roadway Safety Strategy that are 

evidence-based. 

• Complete Streets. DOT will assess 

the extent to which the projects and 

strategies: 

Æ Account for the safety of all road 

users in their implementation through 

evidence-based activities. 

Æ Are supported by an existing 

Complete Streets Policy that prioritizes 

safety in standard agency procedures 

and guidance or other roadway safety 

policies that have eliminated barriers to 


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27An underserved community as defined for this 

NOFO is consistent with the Office of Management 

and Budget’s Interim Guidance for the Justice40 

Initiative and the Historically Disadvantaged 

Community designation, which includes: U.S. 

Census tracts identified in this table https://

datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/tsyd-k6ij; any 

Tribal land; or any territory or possession of the 

United States. 

prioritizing the safety of all users, or 

includes supplemental planning 

activities to achieve this. Consider the 

management of the right of way using a 

data-driven approach (e.g., delivery 

access, features that promote biking and 

micromobility, electric vehicle charging 

infrastructure, etc.). 

Æ Improve accessibility and 

multimodal networks for people outside 

of a motor vehicle, including people 

who are walking, biking, rolling, public 

transit users, and have disabilities. 

Æ Incorporate the proposed 

PROWAG, and any actions in an 

established the American with 

Disabilities Act Transition Plan to 

correct barriers to individuals with 

disabilities. 

• Innovative practices and 

technologies. DOT will assess the extent 

to which the projects and strategies: 

Æ Incorporate practices that promote 

efficiency within the planning and road 

management lifecycle (e.g., dig once, 

etc.). 

Æ Integrate additional data beyond 

roadway and crash information to 

inform implementation and location, 

such as data on the built environment. 

Æ Foster applied, data-driven research 

and experimentation to inform project 

and strategy effectiveness, including but 

not limited to participation in a 

sanctioned Manual on Uniform Traffic 

Control Devices experimentation, 

research to inform Proven Safety 

Countermeasures or Countermeasures 

that Work, and/or research that 

measures the effectiveness of 

multidisciplinary activities. 

Æ Adopt innovative technologies or 

practices to promote safety and equity. 

These could include infrastructure, 

behavioral, operational, or vehicular 

safety-focused approaches. 

Selection Criterion #4: Climate 

Change and Sustainability, and 

Economic Competitiveness. This 

program’s focus on equity and safety are 

also advanced by considerations of how 

applications address climate and 

sustainability considerations, as well as 

whether applications support economic 

competitiveness. DOT will assess the 

extent to which the projects and 

strategies use safety strategies to support 

the Departmental strategic goals of 

climate change and sustainability, and 

economic strength and global 

competitiveness, and the extent to 

which the proposal is expected to: 

• Reduce motor vehicle-related 

pollution such as air pollution and 

greenhouse gas emissions. 

• Increase safety of lower-carbon 

travel modes such as transit and active 

transportation. 

• Incorporate lower-carbon pavement 

and construction materials. 

• Support fiscally responsible land 

use and transportation efficient design 

that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. 

• Includes storm water management 

practices and incorporates other climate 

resilience measures or feature, including 

but not limited to nature-based 

solutions that improve built and/or 

natural environment while enhancing 

resilience. 

• Lead to increased economic or 

business activity due to enhanced safety 

features for all road users. 

• Increase mobility and expand 

connectivity for all road users to jobs 

and business opportunities, including 

people in underserved communities. 

• Improve multimodal transportation 

systems that incorporate affordable 

transportation options such as public 

transit and micromobility. 

• Demonstrate a plan or credible 

planning activities and project delivery 

actions to advance quality jobs, 

workforce programs, including 

partnerships with labor unions, training 

providers, education institutions, and 

hiring policies that promote workforce 

inclusion. 

• Result in high-quality job creation 

by supporting good-paying jobs with a 

free and fair choice to join a union, 

incorporate strong labor standards (e.g., 

wages and benefits at or above 

prevailing; use of project labor 

agreements, registered apprenticeship 

programs, pre-apprenticeships tied to 

registered apprenticeships, etc.), and/or 

provide workforce opportunities for 

historically underrepresented groups 

(e.g., workforce development program, 

etc.). 

Additional Consideration: Project 

Readiness 

Applications rated as ‘‘Highly 

Recommended’’ or ‘‘Recommended’’ 

based on the selection Criteria 1 through 

4 will be reviewed for Project Readiness, 

which will be a consideration for 

application selection. Project Readiness 

focuses on the extent to which the 

applicant will be able to substantially 

execute and complete the full scope of 

work in the Implementation Grant 

application within five (5) years of 

when the grant is executed. This 

includes information related to required 

design and construction standards, as 

well as environmental, permitting, and 

approval processes. DOT will evaluate 

the extent to which the application: 

• Documents all applicable local, 

State, and Federal requirements. 

• Includes information on activity 

schedule, required permits and 

approvals, the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) class of action and 

status, State Transportation 

Improvement Program (STIP) and 

Transportation Improvement Program 

(TIP) status, public involvement, rightof-way acquisition plans, procurement 

schedules, multi-party agreements, 

utility relocation plans and risk and 

mitigation strategies, as appropriate. 

• Is reasonably expected to begin any 

construction-related projects in a timely 

manner consistent with all applicable 

local, State, and Federal requirements. 

Additional Consideration: Funds to 

Underserved Communities 

The percentage of Implementation 

Grant funds that will be spent in, and 

provide safety benefits to, locations in 

census tracts designated as underserved 

communities as defined by this NOFO 

will be considered as part of application 

selection.27 DOT will use this 

information in support of the legislative 

requirement to ensure equitable 

investment in the safety needs of 

underserved communities in preventing 

roadway fatalities and injuries. Higher 

percentages of funding to underserved 

communities will be generally viewed 

favorably by DOT, and the Department 

encourages applicants to leverage 

project and strategy activities to the 

extent practical and in alignment with 

the safety problems identified in an 

Action Plan. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

This section addresses the BIL 

requirement to describe the 

methodology for evaluation in the 

NOFO, including how applications will 

be rated according to selection criteria 

and considerations, and how those 

criteria and considerations will be used 

to assign an overall rating. The SS4A 

grant program review and selection 

process consists of eligibility reviews, 

merit criteria review, and Senior 

Review. The Secretary makes the final 

selections. 

i. Action Plan Grant Review and 

Selection Process 

The process for the application plan 

review is described below: 

• Teams of Department and 

contractor support staff review all 

applications to determine eligibility 

based on the eligibility information in 

Section C. 


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• Eligible Action Plan applications 

received by the deadline will be 

reviewed for their merit based on the 

selection criteria in Section E.1.i. 

• Applications are scored 

numerically based on Merit Criteria #1 

Safety Impact and #2 Equity Criteria. 

• The #3 Additional Safety 

Considerations criterion narrative will 

be reviewed and assessed as either 

‘‘qualified,’’ meaning the application 

addresses the criterion at least in part, 

or ‘‘not qualified,’’ meaning the 

application does not address the 

criterion. Applications that do not 

address the #3 Additional Safety 

Considerations and are deemed ‘‘not 

qualified’’ will not be considered. 

• Action Plan Grant applications to 

develop or complete a new Action Plan 

will be noted and prioritized for 

funding. 

• In order to ensure that final 

selections will meet the statutory 

requirement that no more than 15 

percent of program funds may be 

awarded to eligible applicants in one 

State, applications will have their State 

location denoted. Tribal awards are not 

counted towards this 15 percent 

maximum. 

• The Teams will examine the 

locations of the applicants to identify if 

multiple applicants requested funding 

for the same jurisdiction. DOT reserves 

the right to request applicants with 

duplicative funding requests 

consolidate their efforts as one 

multijurisdictional group prior to 

receiving an award, and may decline to 

fund duplicative applications 

irrespective of their individual merits. 

ii. Implementation Grant Review and 

Selection Process 

(a) Overall Selection Process and 

Ratings 

Teams of Department and contractor 

support staff review all applications to 

determine whether they are eligible 

applicants based on the eligibility 

information in Section C. All eligible 

Implementation Grant applications 

received by the deadline will be 

reviewed and receive ratings for each of 

these criteria: #1 Safety Impact; #2 

Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration; 

#3 Effective Practices and Strategies; #4 

Climate Change and Sustainability, and 

Economic Competitiveness. Based on 

the criteria ratings, an overall 

application rating of ‘‘Highly 

Recommended,’’ ‘‘Recommended,’’ 

‘‘Acceptable,’’ or ‘‘Not Recommended’’ 

will be assigned. Criterion #1, Safety 

Impact, will be weighted most heavily. 

OVERALL ‘‘HIGHLY RECOMMENDED’’ APPLICATION RATING SCENARIOS

Selection criteria Scenario (a) criteria rating Scenario (b) criteria rating 

#1 Safety Impact ................................................................................... High ............................................... Medium. 

#2 Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration .......................................... Medium or High ............................. High. 

#3 Effective Practices and Strategies ................................................... Medium or High ............................. High. 

#4 Climate Change Sustainability, and Economic Competitiveness .... Low, Medium, or High ................... High. 

Overall Rating .......................................................................................... Highly Recommended ................... Highly Recommended. 

OVERALL ‘‘RECOMMENDED’’ RATING SCENARIOS

Selection criteria Scenario (c) criteria rating Scenario (d) criteria rating 

#1 Safety impact .............................................................................. High .................................................. Medium. 

#2 Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration .................................... At least one Low .............................. One Medium and One High or Two 

Medium. 

#3 Effective Practices and Strategies .............................................

#4 Climate Change and Sustainability, and Economic Competitiveness.Low, Medium, or High ...................... Low, Medium, or High. 

Overall Rating .................................................................................... Recommended ................................. Recommended. 

OVERALL ‘‘ACCEPTABLE’’ AND ‘‘NOT RECOMMENDED’’ RATING SCENARIOS

Selection criteria Scenario (e) criteria rating Scenario (f) criteria rating 

#1 Safety Impact ............................................................................. Low ................................................... Any are determined Non-Responsive. 

#2 Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration .................................... Low, Medium, or High.

#3 Effective Practices and Strategies .............................................

#4 Climate Change and Sustainability, and Economic Competitiveness.Low, Medium, or High.

Overall Rating .................................................................................... Acceptable ........................................ Not Recommended. 

(b) Safety Impact Criterion Rating 

Methodology 

For the #1 Safety Impact criterion, the 

Department will assess three 

subcomponents to determine a result in 

an overall rating of ‘‘high,’’ ‘‘medium,’’ 

and ‘‘low,’’ or ‘‘non-responsive.’’ The 

three subcomponents are: the 

description of the safety problem; the 

safety impact assessment; and the 

implementation costs. 

The description of the safety problem 

sub-rating will use the guidelines below: 


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High Medium Low Non-responsive 

Rating scale ...... The narrative and supporting 

information demonstrate 

the proposal is addressing 

a substantial safety problem. The narrative is wellarticulated and is strongly 

supported by data and 

analysis.

The narrative and supporting 

information demonstrate 

the proposal is addressing 

an existing safety problem. 

Narrative articulates the 

description, is generally 

supporting by data and 

analysis.

The narrative and supporting 

information demonstrate 

the proposal is addressing 

a safety problem more 

minor in scope. The narrative is not well-articulated, and the supporting 

data and analysis are limited.

The narrative and supporting 

information do not address 

a safety problem. 

The safety impact assessment subrating will use the guidelines below: 

High Medium Low Non-responsive 

Rating scale ...... The projects and strategies 

have strong potential to 

address the safety problem. The projects and 

strategies proposed are 

highly effective, based on 

evidence, use a systemic 

approach, and have benefits that persist over time.

The projects and strategies 

address the safety problem. Most of the projects 

and strategies proposed 

are effective measures, 

based on evidence, use a 

systemic approach, and 

have benefits that persist 

over time.

The projects and strategies 

address the safety problem 

to a limited degree. Some 

or none of the projects and 

strategies proposed are effective measures, based 

on evidence, use a systemic approach, or have 

benefits that persist over 

time.

The projects and strategies 

do not address the safety 

problem. 

The implementation costs sub-rating 

will use the guidelines below: 

High Medium Low Non-responsive 

Rating Scale ...... The costs for the implementation of the projects and 

strategies are clearly articulated and summarized. 

Future costs are well-described. The quantity and 

quality of the projects and 

strategies in relation to the 

cost amounts strongly indicate the costs are reasonable.

The costs for the implementation of the projects and 

strategies are summarized. 

Future costs are described. 

The quantity and quality of 

the projects and strategies 

in relation to the cost 

amounts seem to indicate 

the costs are reasonable.

The costs for the implementation of the projects and 

strategies are not well-articulated or missing key 

details. Future costs are 

minimally or not described. 

Based on the limited quantity and/or quality of the 

projects and strategies in 

relation to the cost 

amounts, the cost reasonableness is uncertain.

Cost information is not provided. 

The three sub-ratings for the #1 Safety 

Criterion (the description of the safety 

problem; the safety impact assessment; 

and the implementation costs) will be 

combined and scored using the 

following rating system to determine if 

the overall rating for the Safety Criterion 

is ‘‘High,’’ ‘‘Medium,’’ ‘‘Low,’’ or ‘‘NonResponsive.’’ 

Safety criterion sub-rating scores Overall safety 

criterion rating 

At least two ‘‘high’’, no ‘‘low’’, no ‘‘non-responsive’’ .................................................................................................................... High. 

No ‘‘low’’, no ‘‘non-responsive,’’ or does not meet the High criterion ......................................................................................... Medium. 

No ‘‘high’’, at least one ‘‘low’’, no ‘‘non-responsive,’’ or does not meet the Medium criterion .................................................... Low. 

Any ‘‘non-responsive’’ .................................................................................................................................................................. Non-Responsive. 

(c) Other Criteria Rating Methodology 

For the merit criteria #2 Equity, 

Engagement, and Collaboration, #3 

Effective Practices and Strategies, and 

#4 Climate Change and Economic 

Competitiveness, the Department will 

consider whether the application 

narrative is clear, direct, responsive to 

the selection criterion focus areas, and 

logical, which will result in a rating of 

‘‘high, ‘‘medium,’’ ‘‘low,’’ or ‘‘nonresponsive.’’ 


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High Medium Low Non-responsive 

Rating Scale ...... The application is substantively responsive to the 

criteria, with clear, direct, 

and logical narrative.

The application is moderately 

responsive to the criteria, 

with mostly clear, direct, 

and logical narrative.

The application is minimally 

responsive to the criteria 

and is somewhat addressed in the narrative.

The narrative indicates the 

proposal is counter to the 

criteria, or does not contain 

sufficient information. 

‘‘Highly Recommended’’ and 

‘‘Recommended’’ applications will 

receive a Project Readiness evaluation, 

as described below. The reviewers will 

use the application materials outlined in 

Section D to assess the applicant’s 

Project Readiness and will provide a 

rating of either ‘‘Very Likely,’’ ‘‘Likely,’’ 

or ‘‘Unlikely.’’ 

Very likely Likely Unlikely 

Rating Scale ...... Based on the information provided in 

the application and the proposed 

scope of the projects and strategies, 

it is very likely the applicant can complete all projects and strategies within 

a five-year time horizon.

Based on the information provided in 

the application and the proposed 

scope of the projects and strategies, 

it is probable the applicant can complete all projects and strategies within 

a five-year time horizon.

Based on the information provided in 

the application and the proposed 

scope of the projects and strategies, 

it is uncertain whether the applicant 

can complete all projects and strategies within a five-year time horizon. 

iii. Senior Review Team Phase 

(a) Action Plan Grant Senior Review 

Team Phase 

For the Action Plan Grants, the 

Secretary will set thresholds for each of 

the three quantitative criteria ratings 

based on their distribution, the number 

of applicants, and the availability of 

funds. Eligible applicants who meet or 

exceed the threshold in any of the three 

criteria will be offered Action Plan 

Grant award funding. A composite 

rating of the three criteria will not be 

made, and each criterion will be 

considered separately. Based on the 

overall application pool, available 

funding, and legislative requirements, 

the Secretary reserves the discretion to 

set the threshold(s) most advantageous 

to the U.S. Government’s interest. The 

Secretary will consult with a Senior 

Review Team (SRT) to make the 

threshold determinations. Additionally, 

the Secretary may choose to prioritize 

Action Plan Grants that are developing 

or completing an Action Plan over 

Action Plan Grant applications focused 

on supplemental action plan activities 

because an Action Plan is a prerequisite 

to applying for Implementation Grants 

in future NOFOs. 

(b) Implementation Grant Senior Review 

Team Phase 

Once every Implementation Grant 

application has been assigned an overall 

rating based on the methodology above, 

all ‘‘Highly Recommended’’ 

applications will be included in a list of 

Applications for Consideration. The 

SRT will review whether the list of 

‘‘Highly Recommended’’ applications is 

sufficient to ensure that no more than 15 

percent of the FY 2022 funds made 

available are awarded to eligible 

applicants in a single State. 

‘‘Recommended’’ applications may be 

added to the proposed list of 

Applications for Consideration until a 

sufficient number of applications are on 

the list to ensure that all the legislative 

requirements can be met and funding 

would be fully awarded. 

‘‘Recommended’’ applications with a 

‘‘High’’ Safety Impact Criterion rating 

will be prioritized and considered first. 

If that produces an insufficient list, 

‘‘Recommended’’ applications with a 

‘‘Medium’’ Safety Impact Criterion 

rating and a ‘‘High’’ rating for the 

Equity, Engagement, and Collaboration 

Criterion will also be considered. The 

SRT will also review all ‘‘Highly 

Recommended’’ applications that 

received an ‘‘Unlikely’’ project 

readiness rating, and either remove 

those applicants from the Applications 

for Consideration, OR recommend a 

reduced scope to minimize the risk the 

applicant will not complete the scope of 

work within five years of the grant 

agreement execution. 

Additionally, to ensure the funding 

awards align to the extent practicable to 

the program goal of equitable 

investment in the safety needs of 

underserved communities, the SRT may 

review ‘‘Recommended’’ applications 

and set a threshold based on the 

percentage of funds that will be spent 

in, and provide safety benefits to, 

locations within underserved 

communities. Any ‘‘Recommended’’ 

applications at or above that threshold 

will be included in the proposed list of 

Applications for Consideration. 

For each grant type, the SRT will 

present the list of Applications for 

Consideration to the Secretary, either 

collectively or through a representative 

of the SRT. The SRT may advise the 

Secretary on any application on the list 

of Applications for Consideration, 

including options for reduced awards, 

and the Secretary makes final selections. 

The Secretary’s selections identify the 

applications that best address program 

requirements and are most worthy of 

funding. 

3. Additional Information 

Prior to entering into a grant 

agreement, each selected applicant will 

be subject to a risk assessment as 

required by 2 CFR 200.206. The 

Department must review and consider 

any information about the applicant that 

is in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through 

SAM (currently the Federal Awardee 

Performance and Integrity Information 

System (FAPIIS)). An applicant may 

review information in FAPIIS and 

comment on any information about 

itself that a Federal awarding agency 

previously entered. The Department 

will consider comments by the 

applicant, in addition to the other 

information in FAPIIS, in making a 

judgment about the applicant’s integrity, 

business ethics, and record of 

performance under Federal awards 

when completing the review of risk 

posed by applicants. 

Because award recipients under this 

program may be first-time recipients of 

Federal funding, DOT is committed to 

implementing the program as flexibly as 

permitted by statute and to providing 

assistance to help award recipients 

through the process of securing a grant 

agreement and delivering both Action 

Plan activities and Implementation 

Grant projects and strategies. Award 

recipients are encouraged to identify 

any needs for assistance in delivering 

the Implementation Grant projects and 

strategies so that DOT can provide 

directly, or through a third party, 

sufficient support and technical 


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28An illustrative example of how these 

requirements are applied to recipients can be found 

here: https://cms.buildamerica.dot.gov/ 

buildamerica/financing/infra-grants/infra-fy21- 

fhwa-general-terms-and-conditions. 

29https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/ 

ParticipationGoals.pdf. 

assistance to mitigate potential 

execution risks. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices 

Following the evaluation outlined in 

Section E, the Secretary will announce 

awarded applications by posting a list of 

selected recipients at 

www.transportation.gov/SS4A. The 

posting of the list of selected award 

recipients will not constitute an 

authorization to begin performance. 

Following the announcement, the 

Department will contact the point of 

contact listed in the SF–424 to initiate 

negotiation of a grant agreement. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

i. Equity and Barriers to Opportunity 

Each applicant selected for SS4A 

grant funding must demonstrate effort to 

improve equity and reduce barriers to 

opportunity as described in Section A. 

Award recipients that have not 

sufficiently addressed equity and 

barriers to opportunity in their 

planning, as determined by the 

Department, will be required to do so 

before receiving funds, consistent with 

Executive Order 13985, Advancing 

Racial Equity and Support for 

Underserved Communities Through the 

Federal Government (86 FR 7009).28

ii. Labor and Workforce 

Each applicant selected for SS4A 

grant funding must demonstrate, to the 

full extent possible consistent with the 

law, an effort to create good-paying jobs 

with the free and fair choice to join a 

union and incorporation of high labor 

standards as described in Section A. To 

the extent that applicants have not 

sufficiently considered job quality and 

labor rights in their planning, as 

determined by the Department of Labor, 

the applicants will be required to do so 

before receiving funds, consistent with 

Executive Order 14025, Worker 

Organizing and Empowerment (86 FR 

22829), and Executive Order 14052, 

Implementation of the Infrastructure 

Investment and Jobs Act (86 FR 64335). 

As expressed in section A, equal 

employment opportunity is an 

important priority. The Department 

wants to ensure that sponsors have the 

support they need to meet requirements 

under E.O. 11246, Equal Employment 

Opportunity (30 FR 12319, and as 

amended). All Federally assisted 

contractors are required to make good 

faith efforts to meet the goals of 6.9 

percent of construction project hours 

being performed by women and goals 

that vary based on geography for 

construction work hours and for work 

being performed by people of color.29

Projects over $35 million shall meet the 

requirements in Executive Order 14063, 

Use of Project Labor Agreements for 

Federal Construction Projects (87 FR 

7363). 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office 

of Federal Contract Compliance 

Programs (OFCCP) has a Mega 

Construction Project Program through 

which it engages with project sponsors 

as early as the design phase to help 

promote compliance with nondiscrimination and affirmative action 

obligations. Through the program, 

OFCCP offers contractors and 

subcontractors extensive compliance 

assistance, conducts compliance 

evaluations, and helps to build 

partnerships between the project 

sponsor, prime contractor, 

subcontractors, and relevant 

stakeholders. OFCCP will identify 

projects that receive an award under 

this notice and are required to 

participate in OFCCP’s Mega 

Construction Project Program from a 

wide range of federally assisted projects 

over which OFCCP has jurisdiction and 

that have a project cost above $35 

million. DOT will require project 

sponsors with costs above $35 million 

that receive awards under this funding 

opportunity to partner with OFCCP, if 

selected by OFCCP, as a condition of 

their DOT award. Under that 

partnership, OFCCP will ask these 

project sponsors to make clear to prime 

contractors in the pre-bid phase that 

project sponsor’s award terms will 

require their participation in the Mega 

Construction Project Program. 

Additional information on how OFCCP 

makes their selections for participation 

in the Mega Construction Project 

Program is outlined under ‘‘Scheduling’’ 

on the Department of Labor website: 

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/ 

faqs/construction-compliance. 

iii. Critical Infrastructure Security and 

Resilience 

It is the policy of the United States to 

strengthen the security and resilience of 

its critical infrastructure against both 

physical and cyber threats. Each 

applicant selected for SS4A grant 

funding must demonstrate, prior to the 

signing of the grant agreement, effort to 

consider and address physical and cyber 

security risks relevant to the 

transportation mode and type and scale 

of the activities. Award recipients that 

have not appropriately considered and 

addressed physical and cyber security 

and resilience in their planning, design, 

and oversight, as determined by the 

Department and the Department of 

Homeland Security, will be required to 

do so before receiving Implementation 

Grant funds for construction, consistent 

with Presidential Policy Directive 21, 

Critical Infrastructure Security and 

Resilience and the National Security 

Presidential Memorandum on 

Improving Cybersecurity for Critical 

Infrastructure Control Systems. 

Additionally, funding recipients must 

be in compliance with 2 CFR 200.216 

and the prohibition on certain 

telecommunications and video 

surveillance services or equipment. 

Award recipients shall also consider 

whether projects in floodplains are 

upgraded consistent with the Federal 

Flood Risk Management Standard, to 

the extent consistent with current law, 

in Executive Order 14030, ClimateRelated Financial Risk (86 FR 27967), 

and Executive Order 13690, Establishing 

a Federal Flood Risk Management 

Standard and a Process for Further 

Soliciting and Considering Stakeholder 

Input (80 FR 6425). 

iv. National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 (NEPA) 

Funding recipients must comply with 

NEPA under 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. and 

the Council on Environmental Quality’s 

NEPA implementing regulations at 40 

CFR 1500–1508, where applicable. 

v. Other Administrative and Policy 

Requirements 

All awards will be administered 

pursuant to the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles and 

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

found in 2 CFR 200, subpart F, as 

adopted by the Department at 2 CFR 

1201. Additionally, as permitted under 

the requirements described above, 

applicable Federal laws, rules, and 

regulations of the relevant operating 

administration (e.g., the Federal 

Highway Administration, etc.) 

administering the activities will apply 

to the activities that receive SS4A 

grants, including planning 

requirements, Stakeholder Agreements, 

and other requirements under the 

Department’s other highway and transit 

grant programs. DOT anticipates grant 

recipients to have varying levels of 

experience administering Federal 

funding agreements and complying with 

Federal requirements, and DOT will 


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30Please note that some title 23 requirements 

apply regardless of funding source. In particular, 

projects involving routes on the National Highway 

System must meet the applicable design standards 

at 23 CFR part 625. 

31Public Law 117–58, division. G, Title IX, 

Subtitle A, 135 Stat. 429, 1298 (2021). For 

additional information on § 70914, see OMB–22–11. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/ 

2022/04/M-22-11.pdf. 

32https://www.access-board.gov/prowag/. 

33https://www.grants.gov/forms/post-awardreporting-forms.html. 

take a risk-based approach to SS4A 

program grant agreement administration 

to ensure compliance with all 

applicable laws and regulations. 

The Department will also provide 

additional technical assistance and 

support resources to first-time DOT 

funding recipients and those who 

request additional support, as 

appropriate. With respect to highway 

projects, except as otherwise noted in 

this NOFO, please note that these grants 

are not required to be administered 

under Title 23 of the U.S.C., which 

establishes requirements that are 

generally applicable to funding that is 

provided by formula to State 

departments of transportation.30

Therefore, the administration and 

implementation of SS4A grants should 

be more streamlined for the entities that 

are eligible for SS4A awards. 

As expressed in Executive Order 

14005, Ensuring the Future Is Made in 

All of America by All of America’s 

Workers (86 FR 7475), it is the policy of 

the executive branch to maximize, 

consistent with law, the use of goods, 

products, and materials produced in, 

and services offered in, the United 

States. Infrastructure projects are subject 

to the Build America, Buy America Act 

(Pub. L. No 117–58, div. G §§ 70901– 

70927) as clarified in OMB 

Memorandum M–22–11.31 The 

Department expects all recipients to be 

able to complete their projects without 

needing a waiver. However, to obtain a 

waiver, a recipient must be prepared to 

demonstrate how they will maximize 

the use of domestic goods, products, 

and materials in constructing their 

project. Projects under this notice will 

be subject to the domestic preference 

requirements at § 70914 of the Build 

America, Buy America Act, as 

implemented by OMB, and any awards 

will contain the award terms specific in 

M–22–11. 

SS4A award recipients should 

demonstrate compliance with civil 

rights obligations and 

nondiscrimination laws, including 

Titles VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 

the Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA), and Section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act, and accompanying 

regulations. Recipients of Federal 

transportation funding will also be 

required to comply fully with 

regulations and guidance for the ADA, 

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, and all other civil rights 

requirements. Additionally, to the 

extent practicable, Implementation 

Grants must adhere to the proposed 

Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility 

Guidelines.32 The Department’s and the 

applicable Operating Administrations’ 

Office of Civil Rights may work with 

awarded grant recipients to ensure full 

compliance with Federal civil rights 

requirements. 

In connection with any program or 

activity conducted with or benefiting 

from funds awarded under this notice, 

recipients of funds must comply with 

all applicable requirements of Federal 

law, including, without limitation, the 

Constitution of the United States; the 

conditions of performance, 

nondiscrimination requirements, and 

other assurances made applicable to the 

award of funds in accordance with 

regulations of the Department of 

Transportation; and applicable Federal 

financial assistance and contracting 

principles promulgated by the Office of 

Management and Budget. In complying 

with these requirements, recipients, in 

particular, must ensure that no 

concession agreements are denied or 

other contracting decisions made on the 

basis of speech or other activities 

protected by the First Amendment. If 

the Department determines that a 

recipient has failed to comply with 

applicable Federal requirements, the 

Department may terminate the award of 

funds and disallow previously incurred 

costs, requiring the recipient to 

reimburse any expended award funds. 

3. Reporting 

i. Progress Reporting on Grant Activity 

Reporting responsibilities include 

quarterly program performance reports 

using the Performance Progress Report 

(SF–PPR) and quarterly financial status 

using the SF–425 (also known as the 

Federal Financial Report or SF–FFR).33

ii. Post Award Reporting Requirements/ 

Reporting of Matters Related to Integrity 

and Performance 

If the total value of a selected 

applicant’s currently active grants, 

cooperative agreements, and 

procurement contracts from all Federal 

awarding agencies exceeds $10,000,000 

for any period of time during the period 

of performance of this Federal award, 

then the applicant during that period of 

time must maintain the currency of 

information reported in SAM that is 

made available in the designated 

integrity and performance system 

(currently the Federal Awardee 

Performance and Integrity Information 

System (FAPIIS)) about civil, criminal, 

or administrative proceedings described 

in paragraph 2 of this award term and 

condition. This is a statutory 

requirement under section 872 of Public 

Law 110–417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 

2313). As required by section 3010 of 

Public Law 111–212, all information 

posted in the designated integrity and 

performance system on or after April 15, 

2011, except past performance reviews 

required for Federal procurement 

contracts, will be publicly available. 

Additionally, if applicable funding 

recipients must be in compliance with 

the audit requirements in 2 CFR 200, 

Subpart F. 

iii. Program Evaluation 

As a condition of grant award, SS4A 

grant recipients may be required to 

participate in an evaluation undertaken 

by DOT, or another agency or partner. 

The evaluation may take different forms 

such as an implementation assessment 

across grant recipients, an impact and/ 

or outcomes analysis of all or selected 

sites within or across grant recipients, or 

a benefit/cost analysis or assessment of 

return on investment. The Department 

may require applicants to collect data 

elements to aid the evaluation. As a part 

of the evaluation, as a condition of 

award, grant recipients must agree to: 

(1) Make records available to the 

evaluation contractor; (2) provide access 

to program records, and any other 

relevant documents to calculate costs 

and benefits; (3) in the case of an impact 

analysis, facilitate the access to relevant 

information as requested; and (4) follow 

evaluation procedures as specified by 

the evaluation contractor or DOT staff. 

Recipients and sub-recipients are also 

encouraged to incorporate program 

evaluation including associated data 

collection activities from the outset of 

their program design and 

implementation to meaningfully 

document and measure the effectiveness 

of their projects and strategies. Title I of 

the Foundations for Evidence-Based 

Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence 

Act), Public Law 115–435 (2019) urges 

Federal awarding agencies and Federal 

assistance recipients and sub-recipients 

to use program evaluation as a critical 

tool to learn, to improve equitable 

delivery, and to elevate program service 

and delivery across the program 

lifecycle. Evaluation means ‘‘an 

assessment using systematic data 

collection and analysis of one or more 


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programs, policies, and organizations 

intended to assess their effectiveness 

and efficiency’’ (codified at 5 U.S.C. 

311). For grant recipients, evaluation 

expenses are allowable costs (either as 

direct or indirect), unless prohibited by 

statute or regulation, and such expenses 

may include the personnel and 

equipment needed for data 

infrastructure and expertise in data 

analysis, performance, and evaluation (2 

CFR 200). 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For further information concerning 

this notice, please contact the Office of 

the Secretary via email at SS4A@

dot.gov. In addition, up to the 

application deadline, the Department 

will post answers to common questions 

and requests for clarifications on the 

Department’s website at 

www.transportation.gov/SS4A. To 

ensure applicants receive accurate 

information about eligibility or the 

program, the applicant is encouraged to 

contact the Department directly, rather 

than through intermediaries or third 

parties, with questions. Department staff 

may also conduct briefings on the SS4A 

grant selection and award process upon 

request. 

H. Other Information 

1. Publication of Application 

Information 

Following the completion of the 

selection process and announcement of 

awards, the Department intends to 

publish a list of all applications 

received along with the names of the 

applicant organizations. The 

Department may share application 

information within the Department or 

with other Federal agencies if the 

Department determines that sharing is 

relevant to the respective program’s 

objectives. 

2. Department Feedback on 

Applications 

The Department will not review 

applications in advance, but Department 

staff are available for technical 

questions and assistance. The deadline 

to submit technical questions is August 

15, 2022. The Department strives to 

provide as much information as possible 

to assist applicants with the application 

process. Unsuccessful applicants may 

request a debrief up to 90 days after the 

selected funding recipients are publicly 

announced on transportation.gov/SS4A. 

Program staff will address questions to 

SS4A@dot.gov throughout the 

application period. 

3. Rural Applicants 

User-friendly information and 

resources regarding DOT’s discretionary 

grant programs relevant to rural 

applicants can be found on the Rural 

Opportunities to Use Transportation for 

Economic Success (ROUTES) website at 

www.transportation.gov/rural. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on May 16, 

2022. 

Christopher Coes, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Transportation Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11113 Filed 5–23–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

[OMB Control No. 2105–0573; Docket No. 

DOT–OST–2022–0061] 

Notice and Request for Comments on 

Revision of a Previously Approved 

Information Collection Request 

AGENCY: Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Department of Transportation’s (DOT) 

Office of the Secretary (OST) announces 

its plan to submit the Information 

Collection Request (ICR) described 

below to the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) for its review and 

approval and invites public comment. 

Federal agencies have been directed to 

provide service to the public that 

matches or exceeds the best service 

available in the private sector. In order 

to work continuously to ensure that our 

programs are effective and meet our 

customers’ needs, the Department of 

Transportation (DOT) seeks a renewal 

without revision to a fast track generic 

clearance information collection request 

already approved by OMB. OST 

requests renewal without revision of 

ICR with OMB Control Number: 2105– 

0573 as described below. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before: 

July 25, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

identified by Information Collection 

2105–0573, Fast Track Generic 

Clearance for the Collection of 

Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 

Delivery, by any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking portal: 

https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Comments submitted electronically, 

including attachments to https://

www.regulations.gov, will be posted to 

the docket unchanged. 

• Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. 

ATTN: Chief Data Officer/IC 2105–0573, 

Fast Track Generic Clearance for the 

Collection of Qualitative Feedback on 

Agency Service Delivery. 

Instructions: Please submit comments 

only and cite Information Collection 

2105–0573, Fast Track Generic 

Clearance for the Collection of 

Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 

Delivery in all correspondence related 

to this collection. To confirm receipt of 

your comment(s), please check 

regulations.gov, approximately two-tothree business days after submission to 

verify posting (except allow 30 days for 

posting of comments submitted by 

mail). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information 

should be directed to Daniel Morgan, 

Assistant Chief Information Officer for 

Data Services/Chief Data Officer, or via 

email to daniel.morgan@dot.gov or or 

202–366–9201. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Fast Track Generic Clearance for 

the Collection of Qualitative Feedback 

on Agency Service Delivery. 

Abstract: The information collection 

activity will garner qualitative customer 

and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, 

timely manner, in accordance with the 

Department’s commitment to improving 

service delivery. By qualitative feedback 

we mean information that provides 

useful insights on perceptions and 

opinions, but are not statistical surveys 

that yield quantitative results that can 

be generalized to the population of 

study. This feedback will provide 

insight into customer or stakeholder 

perceptions, opinions, experiences and 

expectations, provide an early warning 

of issues with service, or focus attention 

on areas where communication, training 

or changes in operations might improve 

delivery of products or services. These 

collections will allow for ongoing, 

collaborative and actionable 

communications between the 

Department of Transportation and its 

customers and stakeholders. It will also 

allow feedback to contribute directly to 

the improvement of program 

management. Feedback or information 

collected under this generic clearance 

will provide useful information, but it 

will not yield data that can be 

generalized to the overall population. 

The U.S. Department of 

Transportation will only submit 

collections if they meet the following 

criteria. 

• The collections are voluntary. 


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