CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Mayor Luke Feeney announced during National Bike Month that the City of Chillicothe has been awarded funding from the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program through the United States Department of Transportation. The grant aims to improve roadway safety by enhancing protections for bicyclists and pedestrians, with the ultimate goal of significantly reducing and eventually eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries.
The city submitted its application for the 2024 SS4A planning and demonstration grant in early April. The Department of Transportation recently announced that Chillicothe is among eight Ohio communities selected to receive awards.
The planning and demonstration grant provides federal funds to develop, complete, or supplement an action plan. Chillicothe will receive $120,000 to develop a comprehensive safety action plan. This plan will identify the most significant roadway safety concerns in the community and implement projects and strategies to address these issues.
“I am incredibly proud of the team here at the City,” said Feeney. “The hard work that has gone into this application and other recent wins is making the City a better place on a daily basis. With this grant, we will be able to more effectively plan to make our roadways safer and move toward reaching the status of Bicycle Friendly City – a goal identified by the community in the Choose Chillicothe comprehensive plan.”
The SS4A program funds regional, local, and tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. Over $3 billion is still available for future funding rounds. The SS4A program supports the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy and its goal of zero roadway deaths using a Safe System Approach.
The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants: Planning and Demonstration Grants and Implementation Grants. Planning and Demonstration Grants provide federal funds to develop, complete, or supplement an Action Plan. Implementation Grants provide federal funds to implement projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan to address a roadway safety problem.
New in FY24, potential Implementation Grant applicants may submit their Action Plan(s) for pre-application review so that USDOT may affirm their eligibility to apply for an Implementation Grant. This development marks a significant step forward in Chillicothe’s ongoing efforts to enhance safety and quality of life for all its residents.