USDOT selects $1.013 billion for 297 road-safety grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation selected 297 grants totaling $1,012,969,919 through its FY2026 Safe Streets and Roads for All program. The awards support road-safety planning and projects, but selection alone does not mean the money has been obligated or work has started.

The award mix is weighted toward implementation: 100 grants make up about one-third of selections but more than two-thirds of the selected funding. The other 197 awards support planning and demonstrations.

Most selected dollars are for implementation i

Planning and Demonstration grants represent about 66% of the selections but 32.5% of the funding. Implementation grants account for about 34% of selections and 67.5% of the dollars. The percentages are calculated from USDOT’s award counts and amounts and are rounded.

The categories serve different purposes. Planning and Demonstration grants support developing, completing or improving a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and related demonstrations. Implementation grants support projects or strategies aligned with an eligible plan. USDOT identifies intersection upgrades, railroad-crossing safety, truck parking and emergency-response services among the supported work.

Among the selected projects, 95 primarily focus on post-crash care and trauma support and were selected for more than $335 million in grants. Another 10 projects are intended to help address truck parking. These are descriptions of selected work, not evidence that the projects are complete or have improved safety.

USDOT says 52% of the awards are expected to benefit rural communities, and more than $425 million is expected to benefit rural and Tribal communities. The department also reports nearly 8,000 deaths and more than 60,000 serious injuries from 2019 through 2023 in areas receiving Implementation funding. Those figures describe the areas’ past experience; they are not outcomes of the newly selected grants.

Selected funding exceeds the notice’s listed amount i

The FY2026 funding notice listed up to $993,488,194 as available. The selected-grant total is $19,481,725 higher. The notice allows the department to increase the overall amount if additional funds become available, but it does not establish whether that provision explains the difference.

Selection is an early step, not a green light to begin work. Under the notice, funding is obligated through a written grant agreement after applicable administrative requirements are met. Selected applicants can move toward negotiating those agreements, and USDOT is to contact them to begin the process. The application period closed May 26, 2026.