Office of Governor
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced seven Kansas communities, including Russell, will receive a combined total of $1.47 million through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grants program. The funds go toward projects that improve safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries on local roadways.
State funding provided by a Kansas SS4A Match Pilot Program will contribute to the local match as required of grant recipients.
“No one can better pinpoint a community’s safety needs than the people who actually live and work there,” Kelly said. “I commend these local governments for leveraging federal and state funding to create safety plans for city streets and county roads.”
Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Safe Streets and Roads for All is a five-year, $5 billion competitive grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program plans emphasize responsible driving, safer roadway designs, appropriate speed-limit settings, and improved post-crash care, among other strategies.
Kansas’ largest grant ($360,000) went to Chautauqua and Elk counties as a joint application. Next was the City of Newton, collaborating with Harvey County ($320,000). Other recipients are Shawnee County and the cities of El Dorado, Eureka, Hutchinson, and Russell.
Russell received $160,000, a 15% match from KDOT.
“Local commitment and regional collaboration were instrumental in bringing Safe Streets and Roads for All funds to Kansas,” Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed said. “KDOT’s help with local matching funds is indicative of the importance the agency places on safety and our long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities.”
The program is structured so the federal government covers 80% of the planning and demonstration grant costs, and the local government covers 20%. KDOT agreed to cover part or all the local matching funds to encourage participation in this program. To have the full 20% covered by KDOT, an agency had to represent a rural area of the state.