Shawnee accepts $250,000 FHWA grant and names University of Oklahoma as subrecipient for Safe Streets plan

The City of Shawnee voted unanimously to accept a Federal Highway Administration Safe Streets & Roads for All (SS4A) grant—roughly $250,000—and to enter a subrecipient agreement with the University of Oklahoma’s Hudson College of Public Health to develop a community-wide safety action plan.

Ryan Harkins, the city’s community development director, told commissioners the federal award will fund a safety action plan addressing vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle safety across the city and that staff already budgeted a local match in the department operating budget. Harkins said the plan will combine prior work with new data collection, and that community members will have “multiple opportunities to be involved” through walk audits and public meetings.

The University of Oklahoma will act as subrecipient rather than the city running a consultant procurement process. Harkins said OU’s College of Public Health has prior experience in similar projects and will provide data analysis, public facilitation, walk audits, and student support from the College of Architecture. Federal Highway Administration officials at the state and national level reviewed and approved the subrecipient arrangement.

Commissioners asked about the partnership and public engagement; Harkins said OU would lead much of the field work while the city remained engaged. Commissioners approved both the grant acceptance and the subrecipient agreement by separate votes (each 6-0).

Ending

Staff said the project timeline is compressed to meet federal requirements and that the OU partnership will help the city expand outreach and finish the plan faster. The city will return to commissioners with deliverables and next steps as the study progresses.