Public Works asked the board to accept two safety-related grants: a Kansas Department of Transportation High Risk Rural Road (HRRR) grant to add rumble stripes on approximately 24 miles of unincorporated county roads and a Federal Highway Administration Safe Streets for All (SS4A) planning grant to update the county’s long-range safety plan.

Jeff Vos said rumble stripes provide an audible and physical warning to drivers and that the department has already installed 71 miles on unincorporated roads; the HRRR grant offers up to $250,000 with a county match of approximately $49,000 from the road-bridle-and-culvert capital program. For SS4A, staff requested acceptance of $240,000 with a local match not to exceed $60,000 and a KDOT reimbursement agreement to cover 50% of the local match, reducing the county’s net cost to about $30,000.

The presenter noted a data-driven approach that has yielded a 33% reduction in crashes since 2013; commissioners thanked staff for outreach and said the grants will help offset constrained road budgets. Both items were placed on the action agenda for next week.