Hagerstown staff seek council adoption of Safe Streets action plan to qualify for federal funding by June 30

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — City staff presented a finalized Safe Streets for All safety action plan on May 20 and asked the Mayor and City Council to adopt it so the city can compete for federal implementation funds. Staff and the consultant team said public comments received during a 30‑day period were incorporated and that the adopted plan is a prerequisite for a major federal grant application due later in June.

Jim Bender, who presented the plan to council, said the consultant team opened a 30‑day public comment period after an April presentation and held a public meeting April 23; staff received roughly 10 formal comments and incorporated them into the final plan. Several commenters objected to specific countermeasures proposed in the draft — notably, proposals to convert Antietam Street to one‑way traffic and to install roundabouts at particular intersections. The presenter stressed that the plan is a “menu of options,” not an immediate commitment to every countermeasure: engineering study and further local deliberation would be required before any major change.

Staff noted the plan’s adoption is a federal grant requirement: an adopted Safe Streets action plan allows the city to submit grant applications for implementation funds under the federal infrastructure program. Staff said the minimum grant application amount is $2.5 million and cautioned that while the funding opportunity exists only for a limited period, the adopted plan will also strengthen other state and federal funding requests in the future.

Council members urged staff to prioritize targeted intersection fixes and smaller interventions that yield measurable safety improvements for constrained grant matches, rather than asking for broad corridor‑level investments that can dilute resources. Staff agreed that prioritization and partnership with state and county agencies will be necessary when projects cross jurisdictional boundaries.

Next steps: staff plan to place a resolution on the council’s regular session agenda to adopt the Safe Streets action plan and allow staff to apply for implementation grants before the June 30 application deadline. If awarded, implementation grants would require local matching funds; council members were advised that matching commitments and project selection would be presented to the council for approval before construction begins.

Sources: Safe Streets presentation and public comment summary from the May 20, 2025 council work session.