The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance have been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop comprehensive safety action plans.

According to a news release announcing the grant, the funds from the U.S. DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program will cover 80% of the cost of developing the plans, which are required to be supported by a 20% local match.

A comprehensive safety action plan is required to be eligible for future rounds of funding through the federal Safe Street and Roads for All program, which was established in the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill.

“This is a great next step in the region’s ongoing effort to make our streets and roads as safe as possible,” Bob Andeweg, MPO chair and mayor of Urbandale, said in the release. “These planning dollars will help us focus in even further on reducing roadway casualties.”

The Safe Streets and Roads for All program was created to support the U.S. DOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy and a goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways. The discretionary program will provide $5 billion to $6 billion in grants over the next five years.

“Effectively, this grant will open the door to future funding opportunities,” R. Todd Ashby, CEO and executive director of the Des Moines Area MPO, said in the release. “Without a plan like this, most local governments in the region would not be eligible for the significant investment that the U.S. DOT is making in the safety of our infrastructure.”