Improving road safety: From crash data analysis to redesigning streets

After years of sharp increases, there were fewer US traffic fatalities in 2025—down an estimated 12 percent nationwide, with several cities reporting some of their safest years on record. Still, people walking and biking remain disproportionately at risk, and overall fatalities remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.

In many communities, the next challenge isn’t identifying road safety as a priority—it’s securing the funding and coordination needed to implement safety improvements and maintain momentum. 

Federal funding is now open to cities, counties and MPOs through Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant applications from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Nearly US$1 billion was awarded to 2025 applicants with another $993 million available in 2026. No additional funding is planned after 2026—requiring immediate action by cities looking to take advantage of this program. 

Those looking to take advantage of federal funding and kick-start their own road safety plan should be considering:

• How to make a grant application successful
• How to best leverage federal funding for each community
• Prioritizing the right data for road safety analysis
• How to effectively leverage funds once a grant is successful

Our transportation safety team supports communities through every stage of safety action planning—and can comment on analysis and prioritization to implementation and funding alignment. Sometimes the answers are surprising when it comes to road safety, but with the right funding resources, data, and design solutions, real progress can be made. 

Read more about the key considerations to help improve an SS4A safety action plan.