Shawnee Co. among awardees to receive $1.47 million to improve roads

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Shawnee County is among a handful of jurisdictions to receive a slice of $1.47 million to improve local roadways.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced on Tuesday, Nov. 21, that seven communities will receive a total of $1.47 million in federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant funds. This money will go toward projects to improve safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries on local roads.

Gov. Kelly said state funds provided by a Kansas SS4A Match Pilot Program will also contribute to local match funds 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.”

Kelly noted that the program is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation and is a 5-year, $5 billion competitive grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It emphasizes responsible driving, safer road designs, appropriate speed settings and improved post-crash care among other strategies.

The Governor indicated that the state’s largest grant - $360,000 - was awarded to Chautauqua and Elk counties as a joint application. The City of Newton in collaboration with Harvey County was awarded the next largest grant at $320,000.

Other recipients include Shawnee Co., El Dorado, Eureka, Hutchinson and Russell.

“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.”

Kelly noted that the program is designed so that federal funds cover 80% of the planning and demonstration grant costs and the local government covers 20%. KDOT has agreed to cover part or all of the local matching funds to encourage participation. To have the full 20% covered, agencies were required to represent a rural area.

Kelly said this is the second round of funds to hit Kansas through the program. In February, 12 other communities received nearly $5 million. Additional awards are expected to be announced in December.

The Governor indicated that those awarded funds in the second round include:

Grant Awardee	Award Amount	% Match from KDOT
Chautauqua County	$360,000	20%
City of El Dorado	$160,000	15%
City of Eureka	$140,000	15%
City of Hutchinson	$160,000	10%
City of Newton	$320,000	15%
City of Russell	$160,000	15%
Shawnee County	$168,000	10%
Kansas Total	$1,468,000