Safety Grants
We provide traffic safety grants to local governments, Pennsylvania State-related universities and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities, and nonprofit organizations to improve highway safety and reduce deaths and serious injuries due to crashes.
The grant program utilizes federal funding authorized under 23 U.S.C. 402 and 23 U.S.C. 405 and administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The program is structured on the federal fiscal year, which runs Oct. 1-Sept. 30. Grant opportunities reflect evidence-based countermeasures proven to address the most critical traffic safety needs identified through data analysis. Available funds are distributed to projects using allocation formulas based on crash data.
Grants Overview
Funds identified for state agencies are distributed through Notice of Subgrant or Transfer Agreements. Grants to local political subdivisions and nonprofit organizations are administered through the department's eGrants electronic grants management system. Use of funds is restricted by the requirements of federal legislation and Pennsylvania Title 75.
Grant applications must address critical safety needs based on analysis of crash data as the principal basis for programs. Data analysis and problem identification is the foundation for each project and will determine the structure and accuracy of the goals, activities, measures and evaluation efforts for the duration of the project period. Analysis might include multiple years of crash injury and fatality data; license, registration and conviction data; as well as demographic and other data from various sources. Data should be graphically represented to identify safety problems and support subsequent development of goals and activities. The application must clearly identify and define problems and relate this data to broad program area goals and specific countermeasures to be implemented.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants vary for each grant opportunity but generally include state and local* governments, Pennsylvania State-related universities and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities, and nonprofit organizations with existing IRS 501(c)(3) status. See specific grant opportunities for additional information concerning eligibility.
*Local governments means a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority (including public and Indian housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937), council of governments (whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under state law), and other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government.
Minimum Qualifications for Applications
- Deliver services promptly.
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Manage public funds
efficiently and ethically.
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Collaborate with other community, governmental and private organizations.
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Develop data-driven problem-solving plans.
- Develop measurable goals based on multi-year data.
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Adequately evaluate the success of a project.
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Have a Certification of Responsibility Determination (Commonwealth Contractor Responsibility Program DOT Certification).
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Have an approved Lobbying Certification Form (if applicable).
- Have a statement on agency letterhead that names a person who has authority to enter into agreements with PennDOT on behalf of their agency and who will be responsible for submitting the final proposal in eGrants.
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Have an established
Central Vendor Management Unit (CVMU) number, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and SAP Partner number (if applicable).
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Upon grant award, use
email, telephone and other technology to stay in periodic contact with assigned PennDOT program manager and assigned Regional Comprehensive Planning Team and to answer inquiries and requests from the general public.
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Most grantees are required to have an approved PCIT Legal Agreement to access PCIT Restricted Access sections on file before the start of the grant term. This restricted section will provide crash data resources and tools beneficial for building proposals, monitoring law enforcement participation under the Commonwealth’s highway safety program and for planning activities related to both finalized and emerging crash data trends.
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Utilization of
PennDOT's grant management system, eGrants, is required by all successful non-state government applicants, for all grant administrative interactions.
Funding
- Project funding will be provided under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers 20.600 (23 U.S.C. §402) and 20.616 (23 U.S.C. §405).
- Applicants must develop a budget to align with federal reporting requirements.
- Program budgets utilize an allocation formula based on reportable crashes.
- These are cost-reimbursement grants. The grantee must pay 100 percent of all costs associated with the grant award. Reimbursement claims are submitted to PennDOT, reviewed for eligibility, and forwarded to the Office of Comptroller Operations and PA Treasury for processing. No payments in advance or in anticipation of goods or services will be made by PennDOT.
- Single item purchases in excess of $5,000, the hiring of personnel and out-of-state travel will require substantial justification and prior approval. Costs incurred under any project to be considered eligible for federal reimbursement shall be submitted for processing within 30 days after the completion of the grant period. PennDOT cannot guarantee reimbursement for costs submitted beyond 30 days.
- Single item purchases over $500 need PennDOT pre-approval even if they are approved in the initial approved budget.
eGrants
All successful non-state government applicants are required to utilize PennDOT's electronic grants management system, eGrants.
Federal Fiscal Year 2024-2026 Local Grant Opportunities*
For additional information regarding FFY 2024-2026 Local Grant Opportunities, contact the identified PennDOT Program Manager.
1. Community Traffic Safety Project
Traffic safety educational outreach programs to schools and communities targeting local safety issues identified through data analysis. Provide support towards national and statewide enforcement mobilizations and other programs.
PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)
2. Municipal Police Traffic Services Enforcement Program
Coordination of local police participation in impaired driving, occupant protection, aggressive driving, and pedestrian safety enforcement countermeasures, including officer overtime, necessary equipment purchases, and associated training.
PennDOT Contact: Troy Love, Police Traffic Services Program Manager (717-783-1902;
trlove@pa.gov)
3. DUI Courts Program
Development and facilitation of a DUI Court system, including judicial training in the area of DUI courts, establishment of new probation officers to monitor DUI court participants, and necessary equipment.
PennDOT Contact: Troy Love, Police Traffic Services Program Manager (717-783-1902;
trlove@pa.gov)
4. Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor
Coordination of the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor position in accordance with national and state guidelines in support of the Commonwealth’s Highway Safety Program.
PennDOT Contact: Troy Love, Police Traffic Services Program Manager (717-783-1902;
trlove@pa.gov)
5. Judicial Outreach Liaison (JOL) Program
Coordination of the Judicial Outreach Liaison position in accordance with national and state guidelines in support of the Commonwealth’s Highway Safety Program.
PennDOT Contact: Troy Love, Police Traffic Services Program Manager (717-783-1902;
trlove@pa.gov)
6. Statewide DUI Program Coordination
Coordination of technical services in support of the Commonwealth's Impaired Driving Program, including specialized training and statewide coordination of the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program.
PennDOT Contact: Troy Love, Police Traffic Services Program Manager (717-783-1902;
trlove@pa.gov)
7. Statewide Traffic Records Program Support
Coordination of activities designed to assist PennDOT with supporting Pennsylvania Police Agency crash report filing in addition to other services as identified.
PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)
8. Statewide Law Enforcement Liaison Program Coordination (PTS)
Provides administrative and technical support for state and local law enforcement participation in grant-funded enforcement operations in alignment with National Law Enforcement Liaison Program standards and best practices.
PennDOT Contact: Troy Love, Police Traffic Services Program Manager (717-783-1902; trlove@pa.gov)
9. Child Passenger Safety Educational Initiatives
Supplements efforts provided by the existing statewide child passenger safety project organized by the PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP) by providing additional trainings for CPS technicians across the state, broaden outreach efforts, and distribute car seats to underserved communities.
PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)
10. Distracted Driving Outreach
Provides education and outreach to change dangerous driving behaviors especially among teen drivers.
PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577;
ctimbrell@pa.gov)
*Additional grant opportunities may be offered throughout the year based on funding availability and approval by PennDOT and NHTSA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Accordion
Expand AllClick here for a more accessible versionPennDOT program managers are identified for each grant opportunity and should be contacted for assistance with the eGrants system.
PennDOT program managers are identified for each grant opportunity and should be contacted for additional information and/or assistance with the dotGrants system.
General questions related to the Pennsylvania Highway Safety Program should be directed to Troy Love, Program Services Unit Manager (717-783-1902; trlove@pa.gov).
Applicants interested in specific grant opportunities should contact the identified PennDOT program manager for additional information. Upon successful registration with the eGrants system, applications can be created electronically for submission to PennDOT during the identified application period. Once the deadline for submission of proposals has closed, PennDOT will begin evaluating and scoring proposals based on established criteria. Applicants will be notified if the proposal was successful, rejected or successful pending revisions.
All grant applications are due by May 31st. Additional opportunities may be offered throughout the year based on funding availability and approval by PennDOT and NHTSA.
Research and evaluation studies have validated the effectiveness of certain strategies for improving traffic safety. These strategies are considered "Proven" or "Evidence-Based" and are given highest priority when selecting successful applications.
Proposals that include an innovative demonstration project/activity for which no research exists to support its effectiveness must contain a strong evaluation plan to assess the effectiveness of the project at its conclusion.
Matching or cost sharing means the value of an agency's in-kind contributions that are separate from federally funded projects.
A match requirement cannot be met by funding from another federal grant. In addition, the funding cannot be counted toward satisfying a matching requirement for a different federal grant agreement. The organization's project director for the grant is responsible for making sure the matching amount is verifiable and must maintain records for three years starting on the date of the final claim for reimbursement.
Grant agreement conditions are required components of a fully executed grant agreement. These conditions outline the rules that apply to all grants and include:
- Federal Audit Clause
- Federal Non-discrimination Clause
- Commonwealth Non-discrimination Clause
- Contractor Integrity Provision
- Certification of Restrictions on Lobbying
- Commonwealth Right to Know Law Provisions
- Grantee Certifications and Assurances
- Other applicable Federal and State conditions as identified
Assistance Listing Numbers (ALN) are used for financial reporting of grants. A list of all programs can be found at SAM.gov.
Competitive grants are selected based on the results of a scoring team and program manager review. Grant proposals are scored on seven key areas:
- Problem Statement includes data beyond crash statistics
- Alignment to Strategic Focus Areas and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration goals
- Program Activities
- Measurement of Results/Evaluation/Effectiveness
- Past Performance
- Agency/Personnel Qualifications
- Proposed Budget
Non-competitive grants utilize an allocation formula based on crash data to proactively identify geographic locations/jurisdictions for project implementation.
Grantees shall follow state and federal law and procedures when awarding and administering contracts, subgrants or Notices of Subgrants of financial assistance to local governments and other vendors. Grantees shall:
- Ensure that every contract, subgrant or Notice of Subgrant includes clauses required by state and federal statute and executive orders and their implanting regulations.
- Ensure that contractors, subgrantees or Notice of Subgrant recipients are aware of requirements imposed upon them by state and federal statute and regulation.
- Ensure that a provisions for compliance with 49 CFR part 18.42 is placed in every cost reimbursement contract, subgrant or Notice of Subgrant.
- Ensure that procedures are established for routine monitoring and auditing of contracts, subgrants or Notices of Subgrants.
- In accordance with 2 CFR §200.332(b), a Pre-Award Risk Assessment must be completed before establishing subgrants, evaluating each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Review factors should include:
- The subrecipient's prior experience;
- The results of previous audits;
- Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and
- The extent and results of federal and state awarding agency monitoring.
The sponsoring agency is ultimately responsible for delivery of the activities in the application and finances. Contractors, subgrantees and Notice of Subgrant recipients should keep the sponsoring agency informed of any changes needed to the project deliverables, budget, etc.
A copy of the agreement between the sponsoring agency and the contractor, subgrantee or Notice of Subgrant recipient must be submitted to PennDOT for review prior to the contractor, subgrantee or Notice of Subgrant recipient incurring any cost.
All purchases over $500 require PennDOT approval even if they are approved in the initial approved budget. If the purchase is between $500 and $5,000 an Equipment Inventory form must be submitted for any items with a useful life of more than one year. Purchases for items over $5,000 will require substantial justification, as well as prior approval, and are to be included in the budget of the approved grant proposal.
Any supporting documentation such as receipts, invoices, bill of services rendered, and notification of any or all costs associated with the purchase(s).
Examples of allowable costs include:
- Implementation of strategies to address traffic safety problems
- Public education campaigns
- Equipment and materials
- Training and travel directly related to project goals
Examples of un-allowable costs include:
- Costs that do not fall within appropriate state and federal funding regulations
- Funds for office furniture, gifts, entertainment, roadway construction, or roadway maintenance
- Supplanting—using funds to replace routine or existing State and local expenditures or using these funds to conduct activities required by statute
- If it is discovered by PennDOT that grant funds were spent on unallowable items, the grantee agency will be responsible to reimburse the department.
Regional project administrators will provide forms at the beginning of the grant period.
Claims can be submitted throughout the grant year. All claims must be submitted no later than 30 days after the completion of the grant period (October 30th).
Special consideration will be given on a case-by-case basis for all reimbursements submitted after the deadline (October 30th). If a grantee suspects they will need more time to prepare and submit a claim for reimbursement, then notice must be given to the grant manager for prior approval.