Jackson and Teton County approve staff to prepare Safe Streets for All grant application, prioritize South Park and Snow King projects

Town and county staff reviewed the draft Safe Streets for All (SS4A) safety action plan and sought direction to prepare a federal implementation grant application at the April 7 joint meeting.

Brian Schilling, property coordinator for the Town of Jackson, told the boards that the SS4A planning grant work has produced a draft comprehensive safety action plan and that the planning grant itself was funded with $600,000. "The goal of this plan is to prioritize projects and policies to improve safety and mobility for all users of our transportation system, specifically with the aim of preventing roadway deaths and serious injuries," Schilling said.

Staff described three grant types available under the federal SS4A program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation: supplemental planning, demonstration (temporary/quick‑build pilots and feasibility work), and implementation (projects and programs identified in an adopted safety action plan). Schilling said the FY2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was released March 28 and that applicants have a June 26 submission deadline. He noted that an implementation application requires the safety action plan to be adopted at least two weeks before submission; staff intends to seek plan adoption at the June joint meeting to meet that timing.

Staff reviewed candidate implementation projects and programmatic activities and asked the boards for guidance. Candidates included: - B1: South Park Loop Road improvements (Highway 89 West to Middle School Road) — a corridor with increasing development and school connections, noted as having relatively stronger equity scores for grant competitiveness. - B2: West Snow King Avenue corridor improvements (convert previous demonstration elements to permanent work; includes Scott Lane/Maple Way elements). - B4: West Pearl improvements (ranked high on the high‑injury network but has limited prior local planning discussion). - Systemic intersection improvements across town and county.

Programmatic and planning items included A2 (expanded education/engagement programs such as school bike‑safety and related outreach) and A5 (before‑and‑after data collection tied to projects). Schilling and consultants said proposing a mix of implementation and supplemental/demonstration elements increases the likelihood that some portion of a grant application will be funded.

After discussion, Councilman Speer moved "to direct staff to proceed with preparing a grant application for implementation funding, including the following: B1, B2, and the planning and demonstration options of A2 and A5." The motion was seconded, carried unanimously, and the county commission approved an equivalent motion. Schilling said staff and consultants would refine the application details, adjust scope as NOFO guidance is clarified, and pursue an umbrella approach that allows staff to adapt choices to federal criteria during application development.

Timing and logistics: Schilling said applicants typically learn awards in late 2025; project agreements would follow and likely push actual construction or implementation work into 2026–2028 depending on complexity and federal contracting timelines. The town and county project team includes consultants Alta Planning + Design and MobiCon; Alta representatives on the call recommended diversifying the grant request (implementation items plus supplemental/demonstration elements and education programs) to improve chances of partial awards.

Ending: with unanimous motions from both bodies, staff was authorized to prepare the SS4A implementation grant application focused on South Park Loop Road, West Snow King Avenue, and associated education and before/after data activities. Staff will return with application details and seek adoption of the safety action plan in June to support an implementation grant submission.