Governor Kelly Announces More than $6M Investment for Safer Streets and Roads in Kansas Communities

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced six Kansas communities have secured nearly $5 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program.

Combined with more than $1 million in matching funds from the Kanas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund toward two of the projects and local matching dollars, the total investment in Kansas for this round of SS4A grants totals more than $6.2 million.

“Leveraging federal dollars to supplement our state and local investments into critical infrastructure is vital to economic growth,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Safe Streets and Roads for All program ensures that our communities have the resources to build, operate, or maintain critical infrastructure. I appreciate the Legislature’s continued support of this initiative as it is a true bipartisan win for Kansas.”

In this round of announcements, the City of Topeka was granted $4.3 million in federal SS4A funds, the third largest in the country.

“The City of Topeka is very pleased to receive the grant award for the Vision Zero: Focusing On Our Future First project,” Alleigh Weems, City of Topeka Public Works management analyst, said. “This funding will allow us to take a regional approach to prioritizing safety in school zones and protecting our future leaders.”

Matt Volz, executive director of the Kansas Infrastructure Hub, said the support provided through the Kansas Infrastructure Hub gives communities the tools necessary to maximize BIL funding opportunities.

“We have heard time and time again from our local stakeholders that with a little technical assistance and matching fund support, they are better able to leverage additional federal funding for their communities,” Volz said.

“This is a great opportunity and will help us plan safer routes for people with special needs and the elderly,” said Barb Polson, Clerk for the City of Nortonville. “The BIL grant and the Build Kansas matching funds help our kids to get safely to school and around town.”

The six Kansas projects receiving SS4A funding in this round are:

• City of Topeka – Vision Zero: Focusing On Our Future First
  • Build Kansas Funding – $1,078,000
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $4,312,000
  • Total Project – $5,390,000
• City of Nortonville – Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and Supplemental Planning Activities
  • Build Kansas Funding – $20,000
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $80,000
  • Total Project – $100,000
• City of Augusta – Transportation Safety Action Plan
  • Local Funding – $40,000
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $160,000
  • Total Project – $200,000
• City of Great Bend – Transportation Safety Action Plan
  • Local Funding – $40,000
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $160,000
  • Total Project – $200,000
• City of Towanda – Transportation Safety Action Plan
  • Local Funding – $35,000
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $140,000
  • Total Project – $175,000
• South Hutchinson – Transportation Safety Action Plan
  • Local Funding – $35,000
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $140,000
  • Total Project – $175,000

In addition to these awards, in recent months, the Build Kansas Fund has been used to leverage federal grant awards in the cities of Ozawkie (2), Manhattan, Russell, Concordia, and the Salina Airport Authority. The combined total investment by the Build Kansas Fund in all projects is $2.6 million, which has resulted in federal grant awards of more than $16 million.

About the Kansas Infrastructure Hub – Formed in 2022, the Kansas Infrastructure Hub connects multiple state agencies and serves as a resource center for Kansas communities to identify best practices for maximizing BIL funding opportunities.

About the Build Kansas Fund – This fund provides state matching dollars for projects throughout Kansas that successfully apply for Federal grants under BIL. In 2023, the Legislature approved $200 million for the Build Kansas Fund to provide state matching dollars to Kansas entities and projects to meet federal local match requirements. See kshub.org for more information.

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