Beltrami Wins Federal Grant for Countywide Road Safety Plan

Beltrami County will use federal Safe Streets and Roads for All funds to create a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, a strategic countywide effort designed to reduce and ultimately eliminate serious injuries and fatalities on local roadways. The award, announced January 1, 2026, launches a process that will combine crash data, technical analysis and public engagement to identify safety challenges and recommend targeted strategies.

County Engineer Bruce Hasbargen framed the plan as a priority for local officials. "Safety on our roadways is a top priority," Beltrami County Engineer Bruce Hasbargen said. "The comprehensive safety action plan will help us better understand where serious crashes are occurring and why. With support from the SS4A grant, we can take a proactive, data-driven and community-informed approach to making our roads safer for everyone who uses them."

The plan will follow a national framework that guides communities in diagnosing roadway safety problems and developing measurable interventions. That framework emphasizes the use of crash data and technical study to map high-risk locations, analyze contributing factors and recommend engineering, education and enforcement strategies. Completing a CSAP will also make Beltrami County eligible for future federal funding opportunities to implement improvements identified by the plan.

Local officials are making community input a formal part of the process. The county plans to host community events and focus groups and has posted an online survey and an interactive map on the Public Works / Traffic and Safety / SS4A Grant Project webpage for residents to learn more and provide input. These tools will allow people to report concerns, identify dangerous intersections and suggest priorities for change.

For residents, the CSAP process matters because it establishes a transparent, data-based path for prioritizing safety investments. A completed plan can shift project selection toward locations and interventions proven to reduce serious crashes, influence budget decisions at the county level and strengthen applications for state and federal implementation dollars. Civic participation during the planning stage will shape which problems receive priority and how limited resources are allocated.

As the county moves forward, officials will face decisions about which interventions to pursue, how to sequence projects and how to measure success. Community engagement and clear reporting on data and proposed projects will be essential for holding decision makers accountable and ensuring that the CSAP translates into safer streets across Beltrami County.