Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Colfax approves MOU to reapply for federal Safe Streets for All planning grant
Summary
City council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency so the city can reapply for the US DOT Safe Streets for All grant to fund a safety plan and future capital projects.
The Colfax City Council on May 28 voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to execute a memorandum of understanding with the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) to reapply for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program. The agreement lets PCTPA and the city submit a planning grant application and, if awarded, jointly administer the work.
The action makes Colfax eligible to apply for approximately $100,000 of federal planning money with a required $20,000 match, split between the city and PCTPA (in-kind staff time may substitute for cash). Corey Peterson of PCTPA told the council the planning grant would fund a comprehensive safety action plan to analyze crash trends and identify projects — signage, striping, intersection reconfiguration or other capital measures — that could then be packaged for future capital funding rounds.
Council members were briefed that Colfax’s previous SS4A application was not selected because, as Peterson relayed, USDOT reviewers prioritized areas with higher counts of fatal or severe-injury collisions: “you guys didn't have enough fatal collisions here in Colfax,” he said. Peterson and city staff said the planning study is intended to make future capital requests more competitive by producing evidence-based project lists.
Mayor and council members asked for clarification about what the planning money would buy. Peterson said the current request is for planning only; the grant would not pay for immediate on-the-ground paving or striping but would produce the safety plan needed to pursue larger capital grants, including the Highway Safety Improvement Program administered by Caltrans.
Public comment raised questions about whether a $120,000 planning buy-in would lead to big returns; Peterson and staff explained the planning study increases the chances of subsequent capital funding by documenting collision data and prioritizing projects. Councilmember discussion was brief; a motion to adopt the resolution passed without dissent.
A next step is application submission by PCTPA on behalf of the city; decisions are expected in the fall. If awarded, PCTPA would issue an RFP for a consultant and work with city staff to carry out the planning work.
