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Webster Groves to apply for 2025 SS4A implementation grant; task force pauses over summer
Summary
City leadership decided to apply for the 2025 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) implementation grant using the East West Gateway safety action plan as an eligible basis; task force meetings will pause for the summer while NEPA environmental review continues.
Webster Groves city leadership decided to apply for the 2025 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) implementation grant and will pause task force meetings over the summer while an environmental review is completed.
The decision to pursue the 2025 SS4A implementation round departs from the previously stated plan—complete the local safety action plan first and then apply next year—because leaders said they are concerned federal funding availability may change. Task force members were told the East West Gateway safety action plan can be used as an eligible plan for the SS4A application if it meets program requirements, allowing the city to apply before its own local safety action plan is finished.
Why it matters: applying in 2025 could increase the city’s chance to secure funding for projects that address pedestrian and bicycle safety, but staff emphasized the local safety action plan being drafted will still guide priorities and alignment with any awarded funds. Task force meetings will be put on hold for the summer and are expected to resume in the fall at roughly every-other-month intervals so members can focus on demonstration-phase review once the NEPA environmental review is complete.
City staff said the SS4A program is rooted in a ‘safe systems’ approach that typically produces overlapping strategies across jurisdictions, and staff expect much of the East West Gateway plan to align with the city’s emerging priorities. Staff emphasized they will attempt to align local priorities in the final safety action plan with any implementation projects funded through SS4A.
Task force members asked how an earlier application would affect local control over project selection. Staff replied there is some flexibility in the demonstration locations and that applicants can propose projects that align with the federal program while still reflecting local priorities; staff said exact locations and some details can shift when moving from planning to implementation. Staff also noted the application deadline is tight and urged members to provide any outstanding input quickly.
The group was told the NEPA environmental review for the demonstration projects is expected to be complete by September, which means purchases for demonstrations cannot proceed until that review is finished and construction of any demonstrations would likely begin around November. Staff will prepare pre-demonstration surveys this summer and post-demonstration surveys afterward to measure community responses and help make decisions about permanent adoption of successful pilots.
Ending: Leaders framed the 2025 application as a prudent step given federal funding uncertainty while reiterating that the city’s own safety action plan remains important as a community commitment and road map for future permanent work.
