Finney County discusses Safe Streets for All program funding and safety initiatives

The Finney County Commission held a regular session on May 5, 2025, focusing on the Regional Safe Streets and Roads initiative. Erin Pritchard from Kimley Horn presented an overview of the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program, which aims to enhance road safety across communities.

Pritchard explained that the SS4A program was established following the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2022, which allocated $5 billion in funding over five years to improve safety on U.S. roadways. The US 83 consortium, which includes Finney County, successfully applied for $1.6 million in funding, with $1.36 million provided by the federal government and a local match of $340,000 from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

The program emphasizes five key components: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care. Pritchard highlighted that the initiative aims to reduce fatal and serious injuries by designing roadways that anticipate human behavior and promote safer travel.

The safety action plan developed for Finney County does not include recommendations for Garden City, which will create its own plan. The timeline for the grant application began in 2023, with the award confirmed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the project officially commencing in 2024.

Pritchard concluded her presentation by discussing the next steps for the safety plan and inviting questions from the commission members. The meeting underscored the county's commitment to improving road safety and securing additional funding opportunities through compliant planning.