West Union Secures $150,000 Federal Grant to Improve Road Safety

West Union's village council formally activated a $150,000 federal grant when it passed Resolution No. 2026-9 on April 3, amending the village's official budget certificate and establishing Fund 2051 to track Safe Streets and Roads for All spending within the 2026 appropriations.

The resolution does more than acknowledge a federal award: it is the legal mechanism that authorizes village staff to obligate and spend SS4A dollars. Without an amended certificate and a corresponding appropriation line, the money sits unusable regardless of federal approval. With Resolution 2026-9 on record, West Union can now enter contracts, retain engineers or safety consultants, purchase equipment, and draw down federal reimbursement under the program's procurement and reporting rules.

The grant's structure adds a financial accountability layer that the council must manage carefully. Of the $150,000 total award, federal dollars cover 80 percent, meaning the U.S. Department of Transportation will reimburse up to $120,000 in eligible project costs. West Union must supply the remaining 20 percent, or $30,000, from local sources. The appropriations amendment does not specify where that match will come from, a question the council has not yet answered publicly.

SS4A is a discretionary grant program authorized under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It is designed to help communities develop action plans and implement capital improvements that reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries, covering engineering studies, safety signage, pedestrian crossings, bicycle infrastructure, and intersection redesigns.

What the $150,000 will fund in West Union specifically has not been announced. Federal SS4A requirements obligate grantees to identify target corridors, prioritize interventions, and document outcomes, meaning the village must produce formal plans tied to specific streets or intersections before federal dollars flow to construction. Residents tracking the project should watch for consultant solicitation notices, engineering assessments, and public input sessions, each a required step before West Union can satisfy federal deliverables and draw down reimbursement.

The resolution also creates a formal paper trail that state and federal partners monitor as a signal of implementation readiness, a status that strengthens West Union's competitive position for future discretionary transportation funding.