Lora Hollingsworth P.E. Chief Safety Officer
Highway Safety Grant Program Overview
The Florida Department of Transportation Safety Office (FDOT) administers funding for various grant programs that address traffic safety priority areas. Through public rule making processes conducted in 1982, 1988, 1995 and 1998 it has been determined that certain highway safety program areas have proven to be more effective than others in reducing traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities. These programs, designated as National Priority Program Areas are: Impaired Driving, Police Traffic Services, Speed Control, Roadway Safety, Occupant Protection/Child Passenger Safety, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety, Motorcycle Safety, Traffic Records, and Community Traffic Safety.
Grants are awarded to state and local safety-related agencies as "seed" money to assist in the development and implementation of programs that address traffic safety deficiencies or expand ongoing safety programs activities in safety priority program areas. Funding for these grants are apportioned to states annually from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) according to a formula based on population and road mileage. Funding may be available for projects in other program areas if there is documented evidence of an identified problem.
It is expected that programs funded through these grants will become self-sufficient and continue when grant funding terminates. To promote self-sufficiency, agencies are expected to provide a local funding match when personnel costs are included in second and third year projects. The local match is normally 25% of eligible costs for second year projects and 50% for third year projects.
Government agencies, political "subdivisions" of the state, local city and county government agencies, state colleges and state universities, school districts, fire departments, public emergency services providers, and certain qualified non-profit organizations are eligible to receive traffic safety grant funding.
Grants are awarded on a Federal fiscal year basis (October 1 - September 30) and can be funded for a maximum of three consecutive years in a given priority area. (Projects that are determined to be statewide activities may be funded for a longer period of time). Grant awards are administered following the apportionment of federal funding to the state each year. Any delay in funding apportionment will subsequently affect FDOT's ability to administer grants beginning October 1st of each year.