Dear Traffic Safety Advocate:
Due in large part to the efforts of those of you in the traffic safety community, New York State's roadways are among the safest in the nation. In continuing our commitment to prevent needless tragedies, we are notifying you regarding the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee's (GTSC) grant funding program for federal fiscal year 2007.
To optimize our efforts in reducing motor vehicle crashes, fatalities, and injuries, I encourage you to develop programs that address the priorities that we first identified in FFY 2001 and will continue to emphasize for FFY 2007, including selective traffic enforcement and occupant restraint use. If your community has other highway safety issues that you believe should be addressed, applications for additional program areas included in the Highway Safety Strategic Plan will also be considered, as resources permit.
The GTSC will continue to support Buckle Up New York (BUNY), Child Passenger Safety (CPS), the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), and other Section 402 grant programs. Outlines for each type of program are provided in this publication for your information. Due to uncertainties regarding the level of funding New York will receive from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, we are not accepting applications for impaired driving programs. If impaired driving incentive funds become available, we will contact the county STOP-DWI coordinators on how to apply for these grants.
For your convenience again this year, we are making our applications and accident records reports available through the GTSC website -http://www.safeny.com. We continue to receive positive feedback from many of you on the distribution of these materials through the Internet and we hope to expand the use of technology to further improve efficiencies for all of us. The grant application forms are provided in MS Word format. The MS Word forms can be completed on your computer and printed for signature and submission.
Information on our funding criteria can be found at the GTSC website. Federal highway safety funds are meant to be used as seed money to start programs or try new approaches to highway safety problems. Grant projects are funded for one-year periods, with the possible option of up to two additional one-year periods for renewal, based on the availability of federal funding and the performance of the grantee. A new application must be submitted each year.
As in past years, all grant applications must be forwarded to your county traffic safety board for review, prioritization, and approval. Please be aware that in order to meet the GTSC's May 15 submission date, your county traffic safety board may need your application ahead of time, so check with your board for local deadlines. In reviewing applications, the GTSC will consider the county traffic safety board's recommendations to every extent possible. However, these recommendations will be balanced with the resources available and consistency with federal and state funding guidelines and past performance in the program.
Complete instructions are included with each of the applications. General items you need to know are:
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- The signature of your county's Chief Executive is required on the Grant Package Application (HS-l), which should accompany the applications from the county.
- Authorized signatures from the applicant agency and the county's traffic safety board Chair are required on all applications submitted to the GTSC, along with a copy of the application.
- In addition to submitting your signed grant application, we are requesting that you e-mail an electronic copy to the GTSC. This will facilitate the review process. Please coordinate with your traffic safety board as to who will submit this document. E-mail the files to safeny@dmv.state.ny.us.
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There are a few changes in the programs' applications this year, so please be sure to read the criteria for each program and make sure that the 2007 applications are completed properly. Applications that are incomplete, including those lacking an adequate project narrative or supporting data, will be returned to the county for additional work. This could delay or even jeopardize your funding award.
The GTSC staff is available to help new and returning applicants with the grant application process. Our traffic safety program representatives are available to meet with partners in their respective counties. If you have any questions on potential projects or which type of grant to apply for, please contact the GTSC at (518) 474-5111, or contact your program representative directly.
Thank you for your cooperation and for your continuing efforts to improve highway safety in New York State.
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Sincerely,
Renato Donato, Jr.
Acting Chair, Governor's Traffic Safety Committee
and Executive Deputy Commissioner, New York State
Department of Motor Vehicles
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Dear Members of New York's Traffic Safety Community:
