Municipal Road Safety Grant Program

The Municipal Road Safety Grant Program is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Acting as the State Administering Agency for federal highway safety funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the office distributes funding to support initiatives aimed at reducing roadway crashes, injuries, fatalities, and associated economic losses across the Commonwealth. The program is designed to provide local police departments with flexible funding to implement both traditional enforcement strategies and innovative approaches to traffic safety based on community-specific data. The purpose of this grant is to enhance municipal traffic safety efforts through data driven and evidence based interventions. Applicants are required to identify traffic safety issues within their jurisdictions using crash data and trends, and propose targeted solutions that directly address those problems. Eligible program activities include high visibility enforcement campaigns, pedestrian and bicyclist safety initiatives, community education and outreach, and officer training programs. The program emphasizes measurable outcomes, requiring applicants to establish clear goals and objectives tied to reductions in crashes and improvements in road user behavior. Funding for the program is derived from federal highway safety grants and is contingent upon availability from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Approximately five million dollars is made available through a competitive process. Award amounts are tiered based on municipal population size, with maximum awards ranging from twenty five thousand dollars to sixty five thousand dollars. Funds are distributed on a cost reimbursement basis and must be used for allowable expenses such as overtime enforcement, approved equipment purchases, safety materials, and educational programming. There is no cost share or matching requirement for this program. Eligibility is limited to Massachusetts municipal police departments. Applicants must comply with federal administrative requirements, including maintaining a Unique Entity Identifier and active registration in the System for Award Management. Applications must be submitted through the designated online system and include required documentation such as a budget worksheet, overtime policy, and any applicable equipment quotes. All submissions are final and must be received by the stated deadline to be considered. The application process includes participation in an informational webinar, submission of questions within a defined period, and completion of the full application package. Proposals are evaluated through a competitive peer review process that considers factors such as problem identification, data analysis, program design, measurable objectives, and budget justification. Final award decisions are subject to approval by state leadership, including the Executive Director of the Office of Grants and Research and the Governor. Key dates for the funding cycle include the posting of the grant announcement in late April, a webinar in early May, a question submission deadline in mid May, and an application deadline in early June. Awards are tentatively announced in October, with a performance period running from November through the following September. The program is offered on a recurring annual basis, though applications are not currently being accepted for the most recent cycle. For questions or assistance, applicants may contact the program coordinator via the official email provided by the Office of Grants and Research.

Align proposals with local crash data and clearly connect identified problems to proposed enforcement or education strategies; ensure measurable objectives and realistic timelines; provide detailed and justified budget aligned to program elements