Weld County named Safe Streets and Roads for All grant recipient
Published on December 20, 2023
This week, Weld County was awarded a $400,000 grant from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. With the funding, Weld County will develop a long-range comprehensive safety action plan on its rural county road system, which includes more than 2,800 miles of county roads.
“Making our transportation system as safe and efficient as possible is always a top priority, especially with Weld County projected to continue growing in population,” said Kevin Ross, Commissioner Coordinator for the Weld County Department of Public Works. “We’re pleased to receive this grant and excited to see how the plan developed will benefit our residents moving forward.”
The Colorado congressional delegation, including Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo and Congressman Ken Buck, who each drafted letters of support, was instrumental in helping Weld County receive the award.
The long-range action plan — which the county will also contribute $100,000 toward — will be established with the help of a consulting firm. The plan will identify the most dangerous roads in rural Weld County and help identify future infrastructure improvements needed to reduce or eliminate traffic fatalities countywide.
The funding comes as Weld County ranks second highest in the state for traffic fatalities, according to a 2022 “Problem Identification Report” by the Colorado Department of Transportation. Crashes occur both in the county’s municipalities as well as in unincorporated Weld County. The SS4A grant received by Weld County is only for the study of roads in unincorporated Weld County. Municipalities, such as Greeley, have received an SS4A grant for roads within their jurisdiction.
“If this study results in saving or preventing one fatality from occurring, this grant effort will be considered a success,” Weld County Public Works Deputy Director Elizabeth Relford said in the grant application. “Weld County has one of the highest fatality rates in the state for the traveling public. We need to attempt to do whatever we can to reduce these numbers.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which administers SS4A funding, the grant program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and funds regional, local and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
Weld County is one of 385 communities nationwide to receive funding from SS4A funding in Fiscal Year 2023.
Learn more about SS4A.