DATE: November 3, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Retroactively Authorize Safe Streets and Roads for All Retroreflectivity Signage and Lighting Study Improvement Plan Grant Application and Approval of Related Agreement Actions
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively authorize the Department of Public Works and Planning’s submittal of one Safe Streets and Roads for All Retroreflectivity Signage and Lighting Study Improvement Plan FY 2025 Grant Application ($828,800);
2. Approve the draft form of the Grant Agreement with the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, including its Certifications and Assurances; and
3. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works and Planning, as the Authorizing Official for the County of Fresno under the Grant Agreement, to approve and execute the final form of the Grant Agreement, including such changes to the draft form of the Grant Agreement that the Department Director determines to be in the best interest of the County, subject to approval as to legal form by County Counsel and as to accounting form by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the first recommended action will retroactively authorize one application submitted by the County of Fresno Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Retroreflectivity Signage and Lighting Study Improvement Plan discretionary grant program to meet the deadline of June 26, 2025. The Department was awarded $828,800 in SS4A funding for a $1,036,000 countywide project, with a $207,200 local match funded by the Road Fund, Org 4510. The project will develop a countywide roadway-sign inventory and related signage and rural intersection lighting planning documents. Approval of the third recommended action will also authorize the Director of Public Works and Planning (Director) to sign an agreement accepting grant funding from the USDOT Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The impact of this item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the Department would be unable to accept the $828,800 SS4A grant award and proceed with the proposed project.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The total eligible project cost is $1,036,000, consisting of $828,800 in SS4A grant funding and a local match of $207,200 funded by the Department of Public Works and Planning - Road Fund Org 4510. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department of Public Works and Planning’s Org 4510 FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget and will be included in future budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
The SS4A grant program is a new program created by Congress under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The primary goal of the SS4A grant is to improve roadway safety by supporting communities in developing comprehensive safety action plans based on a Safe System Approach and implementing projects and strategies that significantly reduce or eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries involving all roadway users. The SS4A program supports the USDOT’s comprehensive approach, laid out in the National Roadway Safety Strategy, to significantly reduce serious injuries and deaths on the nation’s highways, roads, and streets and is part of the work toward an ambitious long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities.
With the support of $815,081 from the FY 2022 and FY 2023 SS4A Planning Grants, the Department is in the process of developing a comprehensive Safe Streets for All Action Plan. During this process, the Department identified a critical data gap: the lack of a current, county-wide sign and lighting inventory. The previous inventory, completed more than a decade ago, required four years of intensive manual staff work, making it an inefficient and unsustainable approach.
To address this gap, the Department applied for and was awarded a $828,800 SS4A grant with a County match of $207,200. The Department will perform a county-wide inventory of traffic signs, striping, and pavement markings using a combination of modern mobile lidar intensity scanning, photographic imagery, or similar technology. Additional asset inventory may be included if available through proposed methods. This data will be used to create two critical planning documents:
• An assessment or management method that is designed to maintain sign retroreflectivity in accordance with the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
• A Rural Intersection Lighting Plan to guide the installation of solar lighting. This includes adopting formal standards and completing a cost-benefit analysis to justify installation and long-term maintenance costs for inclusion in the Department annual budget.
The primary goal of this project is to enhance road safety by improving visibility for all road users, particularly during low-light conditions on our rural network. The plans will focus on implementing low-cost, high-impact countermeasures.
Due to the extensive time required for engineering, planning, and analyst staff to perform field reviews, take photographs, research and develop scopes, estimates and project narratives, the application details weren’t finalized until shortly before the application’s due date; requiring the Board’s approval to be retroactive. The Department received award notice January 2026 and the draft agreement in March 2026. The requested authorization will facilitate the timely execution of the agreement, streamline administrative processes, and ensure the Department can fulfill its responsibilities efficiently and in accordance with applicable policies and procedures. Any revisions to the grant agreement are expected to be limited to administrative changes that do not materially alter the terms or conditions of the agreement.
The Department requests that your Board authorize the Director to approve and execute the final agreement, subject to the approval as to legal form by County Counsel and as to accounting form by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, that might be necessary in the future. A draft version of the agreement is included as Exhibit A.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
USDOT has reviewed the draft form of the SS4A grant agreement.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Exhibit A - Application
Exhibit B - Draft Agreement
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia