GRANT APPLICATION ANNOUNCEMENT

The Virginia Highway Safety Office, a division of the Department of Motor Vehicles, is pleased to announce the availability of funding for transportation safety grant opportunities for the period beginning October 1, 2007 – September 30, 2008.

Applications submitted must support Virginia’s primary transportation safety goal of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from traffic crashes. Supporting goals of the applications must focus on improving transportation safety relating to Occupant Protection, Impaired Driving, Speed, Motorcycle Safety and Traffic Records. Strategies and objectives will include countermeasures to address the following goals:

• Increase in seat belt usage;
• Reduction in the number of alcohol/drug-related crashes, injuries and fatalities;
• Decrease in speed-related crashes;
• Increased motorcycle safety by reducing the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities; and
• Improvement in the collection and accessibility of traffic records data.

Priority and emphasis will be given to the following types of projects and countermeasures:

• Projects that identify and respond to problems of High Emphasis Communities as identified in the Highway Safety Plan;
• Innovative projects with potential statewide application to other Virginia localities and jurisdictions;
• Projects that creatively incorporate “alcohol awareness and occupant protection safety aspects regardless of the primary focus of the project”;
• Projects identified in the Guidelines for the Submission of Highway Safety Grant Applications. (This document is located with the application materials on the DMV website.)
• Projects demonstrating public/private partnerships where funds are leveraged with private resources to accomplish goals;
• Projects for selective, multi-jurisdictional enforcement activities such as Click It or Ticket; and
• Projects that increase Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety, Emergency Medical Services, Roadway Safety and Community Transportation Safety Programs.

To obtain complete information for the submission of Highway Safety Grant Applications, please use the following link:

http://www.dmvnow.com/webdoc/safety/index.asp

The application deadline is March 31, 2007. Applicants selected for the program participate on a cost reimbursement basis. Specific questions from localities relative to the Guidelines for the Submission of Highway Safety Grant Applications should be addressed to the DMV Community Transportation Safety Programs Manager assigned to your area. A list of these field representatives and areas served are found on pages 18–25 of the aforementioned guidelines.

Thank you.