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Franklin County seeks federal Safe Streets funding and pursues bridge and Princeton project grants
Summary
County staff detailed a federal Safe Streets/Traffic grant application (about $825,000 total, including ~$250,000 for a consultant) that would fund a countywide safety plan and demonstration projects; county officials also said a Princeton grant was resubmitted to Congress and discussed bridge funding possibilities.
County staff told the Franklin County Commission on July 2 that the county applied for a federal Safe Streets/Traffic grant that would fund a countywide safe‑streets plan and demonstration safety projects if awarded.
The presenter said the total project was “about $825,000” and that roughly $250,000 of that sum would pay a consulting firm to develop a safe‑roads and travel master plan identifying improvements and priorities. The grant program allows “demonstration” projects — temporary, lower‑cost interventions such as rumble strips or traffic‑pattern tests — that can be evaluated and then included in the master plan.
The federal application requires a 20% local match; the presenter said the county also applied to the state to secure that match, and that the state may provide some or all of the matching funds if the federal award is made. Staff said they expect notification from federal officials in October.
Commissioners and staff discussed coordination with local cities. The presenter said demonstration funds could be allocated to the City of Ottawa and the City of Wellsville if the grant is funded, and that memoranda of understanding (MOUs) would be prepared because the county submitted the application on behalf of the county as a whole.
Separately, the presenter said county staff are pursuing bridge repair grant opportunities and that two candidate bridges are in various stages of planning; one is historic and another did not meet “fracture critical” criteria, creating uncertainty about eligibility. Staff said they are preparing plans that would put projects in a ready state should funding become available.
The presenter also said a Princeton grant that had been submitted in a prior cycle was resubmitted to the appropriations process by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and is back in the pipeline in Washington; staff reported they are waiting for federal appropriations decisions.
No county action was required at the meeting; staff said they would return with more detail if the county receives award notifications.
