# Safe Streets for All Program Improvement Act

This bill makes a change to an existing federal program that funds projects designed to make roads safer and reduce traffic deaths and injuries. The program, called Safe Streets and Roads for All, was created as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and gives money to cities, states, and local organizations to improve road safety in their communities.

Right now, communities can use this federal funding for different types of projects—some focus on planning and studying safety problems, while others go straight into building physical improvements like better sidewalks, safer intersections, or traffic calming measures. This bill requires that at least 20 percent of the money available each year must go specifically toward planning grants. Planning grants help communities assess their traffic safety issues, develop comprehensive safety plans, and figure out which improvements will have the biggest impact before they start construction.

The practical effect is that more federal money will be reserved for the upfront work of studying and planning rather than immediately jumping into construction projects. This could mean communities get better-designed safety improvements because they've done thorough analysis first, but it also means less money is available for actual construction work in any given year. Communities that have already done their planning and are ready to build might face more competition for the remaining funding, while communities just starting their safety efforts will have a clearer path to getting planning money to develop their strategies.

Safe Streets for All Program Improvement Act

Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]

Safe Streets for All Program Improvement ActThis bill revises a funding limitation for the Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, which supports local initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets. Specifically, the bill reduces from 40% to 20% the proportion of grant funds which must be allocated to developing comprehensive safety action plans.