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Park County agrees to partner with Western Transportation Institute on Safe Streets SS4A grant
Summary
Park County commissioners voted to sign a letter of support to join a multi-county application led by the Western Transportation Institute for U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding.
Park County commissioners voted May 27 to sign a letter saying the county will be a collaborative partner in a multi-county application with Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute (WTI) for U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding.
The measure commits Park County to be part of planning and demonstration activities the grant would fund. David Kacken of the Western Transportation Institute told commissioners WTI will prepare the application, manage the grant if awarded and handle financial reporting on behalf of partner counties. “We’ll send a draft letter of support by tomorrow,” Kacken said.
The SS4A program supports data-informed safety action plans, corridor and school-specific planning, demonstration traffic-calming projects and infrastructure implementation. Kacken highlighted that Park County averages about five traffic fatalities per year — roughly 29 per 100,000 people — and cited the USDOT threshold of 17.5 per 100,000 to show the county’s rate exceeds that benchmark. He described demonstration tools such as pop-up traffic calming, speed feedback trailers and animal-detection systems to reduce animal-vehicle collisions.
Public commenters urged WTI to coordinate with existing local efforts. Sabina Strauss Gardner recommended WTI work with Yellowstone Safe Passage, which has collected local data on animal–vehicle collisions. Commissioner Waltz and others said they see 89 South and other county corridors as increasingly dangerous and supported participation.
The motion to sign the collaborative letter passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was taken. County staff said WTI will include limited local administrative time in the project budget and that partners would conduct public meetings and data review as the planning phase begins. Kacken said some demonstration and implementation work could be pursued over a period of up to five years.
The county will receive a draft of the proposed letter and the application materials from WTI before finalizing formal commitments and any local in-kind or cash contributions.
