2026 Municipal Road Safety Grant Program

The Municipal Road Safety (MRS) Grant Program is administered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Office of Grants and Research (OGR), the State Administering Agency for federal traffic safety grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The MRS program aims to support municipal police departments across Massachusetts in reducing roadway crashes, injuries, fatalities, and the resulting economic losses. Through federal funding, OGR provides subgrants on a reimbursement basis to eligible municipalities to advance these goals. This grant is exclusively available to municipal police departments within Massachusetts. Award amounts vary from $25,000 to $65,000, depending on the department's funding tier. Departments may propose initiatives under three categories: Traffic Enforcement, Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety, and Community Awareness, Outreach, and Educational Activities. All proposed programs must be data-driven, employ proven safety countermeasures, and align with the overall goal of minimizing motor vehicle-related harm. Projects span approximately one year, aligned with the federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30). Applicants are required to submit organizational and contact information, including the names and addresses of the applicant agency, authorizing official, fiscal contact, and grant point of contact. The application must include a departmental overview that illustrates current capabilities, existing traffic safety programs, and how grant funds will enhance their efforts. Departments should also indicate past participation in the MRS program and its impact on community safety. An essential part of the application involves identifying traffic safety problems using local and statewide crash data from sources such as the MassDOT IMPACT Crash Data Portal and OGR’s five-year crash report. Applicants must analyze trends and pinpoint three specific roadway safety issues, supported by data and feedback from local stakeholders. Goals and at least two measurable objectives aligned with these problem areas must be defined, following the SMART framework to ensure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Departments can apply for any combination of the three program elements and must submit narrative descriptions and supporting timelines for their planned activities. Applications must also include a detailed budget and narrative justifying the requested costs, ensuring alignment with grant requirements. Notably, traffic equipment requests must be accompanied by at least 30 hours of enforcement activities, and equipment costs cannot exceed 50% of the enforcement budget. Equipment and safety items must be purchased before March 31 of the grant year. This grant opportunity does not mention a specific contact name, phone, or email for inquiries. The timeline for application submissions and awards is aligned with the federal fiscal year, but exact dates for opening, deadlines, and award announcements are not provided in the document. Applicants are encouraged to consult the full Availability of Grant Funds (AGF) document for additional guidance on application procedures and compliance.