Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has 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,” Kelly said in a statement. “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,” said Alleigh Weems, Topeka Public Works management analyst, in a statement. “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.”
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.
Source: Office of the Governor of Kansas, KRSL.com
