TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Application for 2026 Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant
ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider authorizing the General Manager, or his designee, to file and execute an application and agreement for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 25-26 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program.
Staff Contact:
Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
Initiative - Service Quality
The FY 25-26 SS4A grant funding will support AC Transit’s ability to implement a fleet safety technology project by procuring and installing advanced collision avoidance technology across its bus fleet.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
Staff recommend applying for approximately $5.5 million in funds from the SS4A grant program. If awarded, AC Transit is required to provide a 20 percent local match from non-federal sources. Staff intend to satisfy the local match requirement with in-kind staff labor and vendor-contributed or waived pilot costs.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a call for projects for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program on March 27, 2026. The SS4A program supports planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent fatalities and serious injuries on roads and streets. Adopting a Safe System Approach as its guiding paradigm, the program builds and reinforces multiple layers of protection to prevent crashes and minimize harm when they occur.
AC Transit proposes requesting SS4A funds to implement a fleet safety technology project to procure and deploy collision-avoidance systems for up to 554 fixed-route buses. These systems serve as safety assistance tools for operators. The technology provides sensors to monitor blind spots and adjacent travel paths, detect pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, and deliver real-time visual and audible alerts to operators.
An SS4A award would enable the District to implement this technology across the entire fleet more quickly than an incremental approach tied to fleet replacement.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
Pursuing this funding opportunity may enable fleet safety enhancements that would otherwise be difficult to advance under current budget constraints.
There are no disadvantages.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
The alternative to this application is either not applying or applying for a different project. Staff evaluated corridors and planning projects in the Capital Investment Plan but found them either ineligible or misaligned with the grant funding timeline.
Not applying is not recommended because it would forgo a competitive external funding source that could advance fleet safety improvements. It would also delay the potential deployment of proven collision-avoidance technology.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
Board Policy 324 - Revenue and Grant Policy
ATTACHMENTS:
1. None
Prepared by:
Regina Tran, Principal Capital Planning Specialist
In Collaboration with:
Jon Farhat, Manager of Safety
Emily Heard, Capital Planning and Grants Manager
Approved/Reviewed by:
Cecil Blandon, Director of Maintenance
Richard Oslund, Director of Management & Budget
Aaron Vogel, Chief Operating Officer
Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer
Paul Kincaid, Assistant General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
Aimee L. Steele, General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer