NHTSA Grant Program
The Governors of all states are mandated by federal law 23 U.S.C. 402 to establish and implement a statewide highway safety program. Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) delegates this authority to the Director of Transportation as the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. HRS also establishes a Governor’s Highway Safety Council to advise the Director of Transportation on highway safety issues and establishes County Traffic Safety Councils.
To assist states in carrying out the highway safety program, Congress provides annual grants for highway safety programs designed to reduce traffic crashes and resulting deaths, injuries, and property damage. A state may use these grant funds only for highway safety purposes; at least 40% of these funds are to be used to address local traffic safety problems.
Section 2002 of TEA-21 reauthorizes the State and Community Highway Safety formula grant program (Section 402 of Chapter 4 of Title 23) to support State highway safety programs. In addition, there are incentive grants to states that meet certain requirements, including Sections 154, 157, 163, 164, 405, 410 and 411 of TEA 21. Descriptions of these grants may be found in the Appendix. The grants support planning to identify and quantify highway safety problems, provide start up "seed" money for new programs, and give new direction to existing safety programs. The funds are intended to catalyze innovative programs at the state and local level, and leverage commitments of state, local, and private resources.
Hawaii expects to receive an estimated $1,000,000 in highway safety grants in Federal Fiscal Year 2005, October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005.
Federal Grant Process
Federal Funding
The allocation of federal funds to the state depends on the appropriation by Congress and the spending authority set by the Secretary of Transportation. All grants made by the Director of Transportation are subject to the availability of federal funds.
Grant Proposals
The Department of Transportation requests and receives proposals from the community and government agencies annually on programs or projects that they believe will help solve highway safety problems in Hawaii. The proposals are reviewed and prioritized by the Traffic Safety Councils in each county and by the Governor’s Highway Safety Council based on federal and state priorities. The final determination on all awards is made by the Governor's Highway Safety Representative.
Grant Awards
Grantees will receive written notification of the status of their proposal. All awards are subject to the availability of federal funds, and should not be considered binding until a Project Authorization Form has been executed.
Orientation Meeting for Grantees
All grantees receiving a federal grant are required to attend an orientation meeting which will describe the grant implementation process, how to submit requests for reimbursements, project monitoring, and reporting requirements. The meeting will be held on Oahu on October 26, 2004 and grantees should budget for this meeting in the budget section of their proposal.
Application for Highway Safety Project Reimbursement Grant
Approved proposals require that a grantee complete an application for a Highway Safety Project Reimbursement Grant. When the grant application has been received and approved, and the funding level determined, a copy of the entire grant application along with the agreement and an authorization to proceed will be sent to the applicant.
Monitoring
All grants will be monitored at least once a year for compliance with all federal and state requirements and project objectives.
Project Reimbursement
A highway safety project expenditure report and reimbursement request will be required for all projects on either a monthly or quarterly basis.
Reporting Requirements
A quarterly report on the status of project activities is due quarterly on January 15, April 15 and July 15. An annual report is due no later than October 31. Photographs of project activities should be included with the reports.
Federal Highway Safety Priorities
The following are the federal priority program areas. All of these program areas have been identified as encompassing a major highway safety problem that is of national concern, and for which effective countermeasures have been identified. The national program area descriptions and guidelines are as follows. The national priority areas are general guidelines that identify areas of concern in traffic safety. They do not provide a rating of which area is of most importance.
State Priorities
The State of Hawaii has developed the following priority levels based on data from highway collisions in the state. Statistical data on each area is available in the Appendix. The priorities reflect the number of injuries and deaths in each area.
HIGHEST PRIORITY
These have been identified as the most critical problem areas in highway safety in Hawaii:
- Pedestrian injuries and fatalities for persons over the age of 55 years
- Motorcycle crashes
- Excessive speeding by persons ages 16-25
- Use of seat belts for persons 16-35 years
- Enforcement of traffic laws in the areas of speed, occupant protection and alcohol
- The number of repeat driving while intoxicated violations
LOWER PRIORITY
This priority area is of concern to highway safety; however, the data does not justify it as a critical area.
- Reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries for persons 5-14 years
- Involve businesses in traffic safety programs
- Increase use of child safety seats (including booster)
- Reduce bicycle crashes
- Equipment request by Emergency Medical Services
Proposal Content
All proposals are to be on the RFP Form in the Appendix.
Problem Statement
Fill in the traffic safety area that this proposal is addressing, i.e. Pedestrians, Speeding, Occupant Protection.
Solution Statement
Propose your solution to the identified area of traffic safety concern. Indicate how your proposal will help reduce fatalities or injuries. List the goals and specific objectives of your proposal. Do not restate the problem or provide statistics. List any previous funding of this project and the source of funds. Indicate community efforts in achieving objectives.
Evaluation
Describe how you plan to evaluate the effectiveness of this project. Since fatalities are quite small it is difficult to use fatal data to determine effectiveness; however, project objectives can be used to evaluate effectiveness. For example, in the case of occupant protection, indicators such as increasing the seat belt usage rates, or for seat belt enforcement, the number of citations issued over the previous year, can be used. Also provide information on the cost/benefit ratio (i.e. how do the benefits of the project outweigh the expenditures) and discuss the potential of the project becoming self-sustaining after this funding period.
Budget
Itemize the cost breakdown, i.e. salary, equipment, travel, office supplies, etc. needed to implement this proposal.
Submission of Proposals
Procedures
Submit the Proposal to:
Safe Community Office
Department of Transportation
869 Punchbowl Street, Room 405
Honolulu HI 96813
Deadline for Receiving Proposals for FFY 2005
May 7, 2004, 4:30 p.m.
Proposal Evaluation & Selection Process
All proposals will be reviewed by evaluation committees from the state and counties. All proposals affecting a County will be reviewed and prioritized by the County Traffic Safety Council in that county. After the county has prioritized the proposals, all proposals will be reviewed and re-prioritized by the Governor’s Highway Safety Council on a statewide basis.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Council will make recommendations to the Governor's Highway Safety Council on the projects to be funded. The Governor's Highway Safety Council has the final authority to approve grants.
The evaluation criteria may include:
- Magnitude of the problem being addressed
- Innovative approach to the problem.
- Measures of effectiveness of the program.
- Potential for the program to become self sustaining.
- Community input into solution.
A grant may be awarded on the basis of initial proposals received without discussion. Therefore, each proposal should contain the proposer’s best terms from a creative, technical and cost/price standpoint.
The County Traffic Safety Councils, Governor’s Highway Safety Council and the Governor's Highway Safety Council may also contact a proposer on less than 72 hours notice for the purposes of clarification to assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to, the RFP requirements, and to facilitate arriving at a grant program.
DOT reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to undertake discussions with more proposers, and to accept the proposals, or modified proposals, which, in its judgment, will be the most advantageous to the State, cost and price and other evaluating factors considered. DOT reserves the right to reject any specific proposal which is conditional or not prepared in accordance with the instructions and requirements of the RFP. DOT reserves the right to waive any defects in any proposal.
The selection will be made by the Governor's Highway Safety Representative whose decisions will be final.
DOT anticipates all selections to be made by August 1, 2004, pending the availability of federal funds.
Notification of Grant Award
DOT shall notify each proposer in writing of its decision to select or reject the proposal.
Award of Grant
No grant will be awarded until a grantee has completed an application for a Federal Highway Safety Project Reimbursement Grant. When the grant application has been received and approved, and the funding level determined, a copy of the entire grant application along with the agreement and an authorization to proceed will be sent to the applicant.
Cancellation of Grant
DOT reserves the right to cancel the award of this grant, for any reason at any time before the agreement is fully executed and approved. The grant may also be canceled at any time for violation of federal or state law governing the grant.
Monitoring & Reporting
All grants will be monitored at least once a year for compliance with all federal and state requirements and project objectives.
A quarterly report on the status of project activities is due quarterly on January 15, April 15 and July 15. An annual report is due no later than October 31. Photographs of project activities should be included with the reports.
Method of Payment
All payments will be on a reimbursable basis. Proposer must submit a Highway Safety Project Expenditure Report and Reimbursement Request. Requests for reimbursement may be made on either a monthly or quarterly basis.
After review of grantees request, a reimbursement request will be made with NHTSA. Upon transfer of funds to HDOT from NHTSA, the grantee will be sent a check to cover reported expenses.
Contact Persons
For further information, contact:
| Gordon Hong or Lee Nagano Safe Communities Coordinator Department of Transportation 869 Punchbowl Street, Room 405 Honolulu HI 96813 Telephone: (808) 587-6302 FAX: (808) 587-2313 |
Sgt. Bob Lung Safe Communities Coordinator Honolulu Police Department 801 S. Beretania Street Honolulu HI 96813 Telephone: (808) 529-3497 FAX: (808) 529-3130 |
