City Council Meeting Date: June 3, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Jacob Ives, Graduate Engineer
Sean Simonson, Engineering Manager
David Bennett, City Engineer/Public Works Director
Title
Consider Approving Application for the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) 2025 Planning Grant.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the application submittal for the USDOT Planning Grant for Safe Streets and Roads for All.
Summary Report:
Staff are requesting Council consideration of support to apply for $300,000 in grant funds from the USDOT and proposing to use $75,000 from the general Fund to satisfy the 20% match requirement of the grant. The application is an online form; however, an application narrative (Attachment 1) has been included with the Council report for background information.
The City Adopted 2025-2028 Strategic Plan includes a strategic initiative to create a Safe Street for All Plan. Completion of the plan will help identify specific priorities for improved pedestrian safety. An Action Plan is required in order to become eligible for Federal Implementation grants. Typically, those grants provide 80% federal funding and 20% local match.
Background
The USDOT is soliciting project proposals to distribute $402 million to communities to prepare a Safe Streets and Roads for All Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. This plan is meant to address and prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries. The components of a safety action plan consist of:
• Leadership Commitment and Goal Setting
o Commitment by Council to an eventual goal of zero roadway fatalities.
o Includes a target date for zero fatalities or a percent reduction by a certain date.
• Planning Structure
o A committee, or similar body, charged with the development of the action plan.
• Safety Analysis
o Analysis of existing and historical trends, crash locations and severity.
o Analysis includes all roadways within the city and identifies high risk locations.
• Engagement and Collaboration
o Robust engagement with the public, including businesses and community groups.
o Engagement with other transportation agencies (townships, cities, county, state).
o The plan is coordinated with other city plans.
• Policy and Process Changes
o Assessment of current policies, plans, guidelines, and standards.
o Identify opportunities to revise or develop new policies, guidelines, or standards.
• Strategy and Project Selection
o Identify a set of projects and strategies that will address safety problems.
o Projects and strategies are prioritized in a list that provides a time range of when the countermeasures are expected to be deployed.
• Progress and Transparency
o Develop a method to measure progress after the plan is developed.
o Develop a method to ensure transparency with the public on progress toward achieving zero roadway fatalities.
There are two hyperlinks attached should you be interested in reading more background on the planning grant or future potential implementation grants:
• SS4A Planning Grants (For More Information Here)
• SS4A Implementation Grants (For More Information Here)
From 2018 - 2024 Northfield experienced 5 fatal and 14 serious injury crashes according to MnDOT crash reporting. The previous five years 2013 - 2017 experienced zero fatal and 8 serious injury crashes indicating a recent increase in crash severity. Developing a Safety Action Plan will allow the city to determine current and future crash prone locations and develop quick, low cost, and effective solutions to safety problems in these areas.
If the grant is awarded, the staff will send a request for proposals (RFP) to engineering firms to assist city staff with the preparation of the Safety Action Plan.
Alternative Options:
None recommended.
Financial Impacts:
Grant Funds $300,000
Cash Match $75,000 - Was included in the 2026 requested budget. Staff is including the matching funds subject to grant award in the upcoming 2026 and 2027 Budget
Tentative Timelines:
Applications Due Thursday June 26, 2025
Project Selection July - August 2025
Project Start Fall 2025 / Winter 2026
Project Completion 2027