Technical Assistance for Counties: USDOT Competitive Grant Lifecycle

On April 30, NACo submitted three letters to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee outlining county priorities as Congress begins work on the next surface transportation reauthorization. The current authorization is set to expire on September 30, 2026, and renewing it is a key priority for the Committee in the 119th Congress.

In March, lawmakers in the House and Senate reintroduced the bipartisan Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act. The legislation honors Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, a former U.S. diplomat and mother of two who was tragically killed while biking home in Bethesda, Md., just weeks after being evacuated from Ukraine in 2022. 

On February 21, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the availability of $1.2 billion through the Safe Streets and Roads for All competitive grant program in Fiscal Year 2024 for transportation safety planning or construction projects.

Leon County, Fla., created elevated, colorful crosswalks to decrease speeding and increase pedestrian safety.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman said the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization will focus on traditional infrastructure.

Giving counties flexibility to spend money from the 2026 surface transportation reauthorization will improve rural road safety and better serve local needs, Converse County, Wyo. Commissioner Jim Willox told the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.