TOPEKA, Kansas — 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 Kansas 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, according to a news release from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s office.
“Leveraging federal dollars to supplement our state and local investments into critical infrastructure is vital to economic growth,” 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.
The cities receiving funds are: Topeka, Nortonville, Augusta, Great Bend, Towanda and South Hutchinson. Funds will be used, in part, to create safety action plans in each of these communities.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
