Municipal Fleet Safety Grant Program

The Municipal Fleet Safety Grant Program is offered by the Highway Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The program provides funding to help Massachusetts municipalities install safety devices on municipal vehicles and adopt proven fleet safety practices. Municipal fleet vehicles support essential public functions such as roadway maintenance, snow and ice removal, construction, waste collection, and other routine municipal services. Because these vehicles frequently operate near pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and other vulnerable roadway users, MassDOT is focusing the program on safety improvements that address visibility challenges associated with large municipal vehicles, including their size, height, blind spots, and limited sightlines. The program is connected to the Commonwealth's efforts under the Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities and MassDOT's Safe System approach. MassDOT's Direct Vision Study examined vehicle design, driver visibility, and safety technologies that may improve operator awareness and reduce risks associated with blind spots and limited sightlines around large vehicles. The study identified safety devices that can improve visibility around municipal fleet vehicles, including lateral protective devices, convex mirrors, crossover mirrors, and backup cameras. Through this grant program, MassDOT seeks projects that increase adoption of proven fleet safety technologies, demonstrate potential to improve safety for vulnerable roadway users, thoughtfully select vehicles and safety equipment, and can be successfully implemented within the grant period. A total of $1,000,000 is available statewide, and applicants may request up to $75,000. The program is administered on a reimbursement basis. Awarded municipalities must enter into a grant agreement with MassDOT before beginning grant-funded work and must receive both a fully executed grant agreement and a Notice to Proceed from MassDOT before purchasing equipment, beginning installation, or incurring reimbursable project costs. Costs incurred before issuance of the Notice to Proceed are not eligible for reimbursement. Equipment purchases and installation services must comply with applicable federal, state, and local procurement requirements, and municipalities are specifically required to conduct procurement activities in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30B. Eligibility described in the available program information is limited to municipalities, with the funding available statewide in Massachusetts. The source does not identify additional eligible organization types or establish a matching or cost-sharing requirement. MassDOT prioritizes applications from Environmental Justice Communities and Housing Choice Communities. The available information does not provide an application opening date, closing date, pre-application deadline, recurring schedule, application portal, required application forms, named application contact, email address, or telephone number. Accordingly, prospective applicants would need the applicable solicitation or application materials for the current funding round to confirm submission procedures and deadlines. MassDOT will evaluate applicants according to the extent to which their proposed projects advance the goals of the Fleet Safety Grant Program. Evaluation considers demonstrated need for safety improvements, whether proposed vehicles regularly operate in environments frequented by pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, or other vulnerable roadway users, and whether the vehicles operate in environments associated with elevated roadway safety risks. Review also considers whether the project addresses specific fleet safety gaps, whether the selected vehicles are appropriate candidates for retrofit, whether the proposed safety equipment is appropriate for those vehicles and their intended operating conditions, and whether the applicant demonstrates procurement and installation readiness. Environmental Justice Communities and Housing Choice Communities receive prioritization in the application review process. Awarded projects must be completed within two years of contract execution. Awardees must submit a final project report using a MassDOT-provided form. The report is required to document information including the total number of vehicles retrofitted, the number and type of safety devices installed, anticipated and total project expenditures, and procurement challenges and lessons learned. The source does not state an award notification date or indicate that the funding opportunity recurs annually, biennially, quarterly, or according to another regular schedule. Therefore, no recurrence or next-cycle date can be established from the supplied program information.

Demonstrate a specific fleet safety need and explain how selected vehicles operate around vulnerable roadway users or in elevated roadway safety-risk environments. Select appropriate retrofit candidates and safety equipment suited to the vehicles and operating conditions. Demonstrate procurement and installation readiness. Environmental Justice Communities and/or Housing Choice Communities receive prioritization.