The City of Colorado Springs is developing a Safety Action Plan (SAP) that will identify strategies to improve safety for all roadway users, whether they bike, roll, walk, or drive. The project team will review policies, crash data, and design standards as part of a comprehensive analysis. The SAP will result in recommendations and specific actions to reduce severe and fatal crashes throughout the Colorado Springs transportation network. The SAP is being funded via the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) federal program for discretionary grants with the stated purpose of reducing roadway-related deaths and severe injuries using the safe system approach. The City of Colorado Springs was awarded a $280,000 grant in 2024 to support the development of the citywide Safety Action Plan.
About
Project Background
Stakeholders engaged in traffic safety across the City and region noticed a significant rise in aggressive driving, serious injury accidents and traffic fatalities over the past few years. To combat these trends, the City applied and acquired funds through the federal Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program, a federally-funded program with the stated purpose of reducing deaths and severe injuries using the safe system approach. The City of Colorado Springs is developing a citywide Safety Action Plan, which will seek community output and outline systemic projects to reduce serious and deadly crashes.
Project Goals
- Create a Safety Action Plan
- Determine systemic improvements and specific projects to improve safety
- Partner to develop public education campaigns
- Launch a public data dashboard
Funding Sources
The City of Colorado Springs acquired discretionary funds through the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) competitive grant program. This program was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and allocates $5 billion in appropriated funds from 2022-2026. This federal program aims to create safe transportation networks by reducing deaths and severe injuries through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach.
Detailed Timeline
March 2024: Grant Received
City of Colorado Springs receives Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant for Safety Action Plan development between 2024-2026
January–March 2025: Crash Data Analysis
Several crash analyses and previous studies are used to determine appropriate safety countermeasures and strategies.
March–July 2025: Public and Stakeholder Engagement
The project team will hold several conversations with stakeholders and conduct targeted outreach to develop the Safety Action Plan’s priorities.
June–September 2025: Draft Plan Development
The Safety Action Plan will be drafted and include potential recommendations, actions, and strategies during this period.
September–November 2025: Plan Refinement
The project team will revise and refine aspects of the Safety Action Plan during this timeframe.
December 2025: Final Plan Completed
The final Safety Action Plan will be ready for adoption and approval.
March 2026: Plan Adoption
Adoption of the Safety Action Plan is targeted for early 2026.
Public Engagement
The project will include feedback gathered through a stakeholder group, the ConnectCOS Transportation Master Plan, and many outreach engagement opportunities. The stakeholder group includes public and private community partners that will join efforts to help tailor the plan and projects to target serious injury and fatal crashes.
Past Meetings
Working Group Meeting (Feb 2025)
This meeting was an introduction to the project and its partners, the development of a list of traffic safety stakeholders in Colorado Springs, and the initial development of the Safety Action Plan.
Stakeholder Meeting (April 2025)
This meeting brought together over 40 partnering citywide agencies and organizations to determine existing traffic safety successes, challenges to overcome, and how to build more partnerships.