To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Grant application for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program for fiscal year 2025/2026, El Sobrante Area.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to submit one grant application to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) for the fiscal year 2025/2026 cycle of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program, for the San Pablo Dam Road Complete Street project, El Sobrante area (District I).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost for the San Pablo Dam Road Complete Street project is estimated to be $10 million and the grant program requires a local match of at least 20%. (80% Safe Streets and Roads for All Funds and 20% Local Road Funds).
BACKGROUND:
On March 27, 2026, the DOT issued the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the SS4A grant program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also referred to as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or “BIL”). In the notice, the DOT solicited applications for transportation projects and activities to support planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets. These initiatives are to involve all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation, personal conveyance and micromobility devices, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators. Applications must be submitted by May 26, 2026.
The DOT has authorized and appropriated $993,488,194 to be awarded as part of the 2026 SS4A grant program. The SS4A grant program categorizes applications as either: (a) planning and demonstration grants or (b) implementation grants. Planning and demonstration grants are intended to fund the development or enhancement of a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which the County has already developed in the form of the Vision Zero Action Plan and was adopted by the County in March 2022. Public Works is preparing to apply for an implementation grant to fund design and construction of the San Pablo Dam Road Complete Street project, as identified in the Vision Zero Action Plan.
The San Pablo Dam Road Complete Street project intends to implement a road diet, converting the existing four-lane road into a three-lane roadway with one lane in each direction plus a center left turn lane, from Appian Way to St John Lane. The reduction from four to three travel lanes will allow reallocation of right-of-way to new continuous buffered bike lanes and bike boxes that will prioritize bicyclists and sidewalk and crossing improvements to accommodate pedestrians.
SS4A Implementation Grants must identify safety concerns to be addressed and the projects and strategies that the County plans to implement based on the Vision Zero Action Plan. According to the NOFO, successful grant applications will:
• Promote safety to prevent fatal and serious injuries on public roadways;
• Employ low-cost, high-impact strategies that can improve safety over a wide geographic area;
• Ensure equitable investment in the safety needs of underserved communities, which includes both underserved urban and rural communities;
• Beautifying transportation infrastructure with context-appropriate design and/or child-friendly elements;
• Advance eligible truck parking with a clear roadway safety nexus;
• Incorporate evidence-based projects and strategies and adopt innovative technologies and strategies;
• Demonstrate engagement with a variety of public and private stakeholders; and
• Modernize public safety infrastructure, including prehospital blood transfusion capabilities and improve post-crash care.
The DOT will evaluate applications based on primary selection criteria, or merit criteria, listed in the following order of importance: (1) safety need; (2) safety impact; (3) implementation costs; and (4) engagement and collaboration.
On April 8 and May 13, 2024, the Transportation, Water & Infrastructure Committee reviewed the project and recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve its submission as grant applications for prior cycles of the SS4A grant program and Active Transportation Program, respectively. On May 16, June 17, and December 18, 2024, the project was submitted as grant applications to prior cycles of the SS4A grant program, Active Transportation Program, and Metropolitan Transportation Commission Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance program, respectively, but was not awarded. The project was most recently submitted as a grant application to the 2025 cycle of the SS4A program but was not awarded.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the Public Works Department is not authorized to submit the application, grant funding will not be available, which will delay the design and construction of this project.