Chaffee County awards Safe Streets planning contract to Farr & Peers for $409,825

The Chaffee County Board of Commissioners voted to award the Safer Roads for All planning contract to Farr & Peers and authorized the board chair to sign the contract after federal approval of the SS4A grant.

Gary Baker, Chaffee County planning manager, told the board the county averages about 400 crashes and roughly five fatalities annually, and that 25% of crashes involve wildlife. He said the planning grant is fully grant-funded and necessary to pursue an implementation grant in 2026.

Baker said the county interviewed top firms and recommended Farr & Peers because that firm has both planning and implementation grant experience. "We're recommending Farr and Peers, with their proposal amount of $409,825," he said.

A commissioner moved to approve the contract award, including signing authority for the board chair, and to direct staff to finalize the contract after the Federal Highway Administration approves the SS4A grant contract. The motion carried; commissioners voted in favor.

Why this matters: The planning contract funds work intended to identify and prioritize projects and strategies to reduce deaths and serious injuries on county roads and to position the county to apply for construction funding.

Key financials and scope: The contract award recommendation was $409,825. The total SS4A grant amount available is $550,000; Baker said some of the remaining grant money could be used for the wildlife-collision mitigation elements of the project.

What happens next: Staff will finalize the contract for the board chair's signature after the SS4A grant contract is approved by Federal Highway Administration, and the county will proceed with the planning tasks laid out in the Farr & Peers proposal.

Ending note: County staff characterized the award as a necessary step to compete for federal implementation funds in 2026 and to carry out the county comprehensive plan's traffic-safety goals.