top of page

Utilizing IDOT/BSPE Highway Safety Grants to 

Improve Your Traffic Safety Program

 

The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering (BSPE) is actively working to meet the goal of zero fatalities on Illinois roadways. In order to make this goal a reality, BSPE offers grant opportunities providing funding to state and local agencies and qualified organizations. 

 

What is the Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Grant Program?

  • The Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant focuses on well publicized High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) at specific times and on specific dates during the year.

  • The enforcement efforts are designed to reduce fatalities and serious injuries during some of the deadliest times of the year for vehicle travel.

  • The program reimburses agencies for the overtime or comptime earned by officers/deputies working grant enforcement details.

  • The Grant year runs from October 1 – September 30th (Federal Fiscal Year)

  • For FFY25 STEP,

    • 214 grant agencies participating throughout the state

    •   31 are Sheriff’s agencies 

 

STEP Program Requirements

  • STEP Program targets specific traffic violation categories,

    • Occupant Protection (front/rear seat belt, child passenger seat violations)

    • Impaired Driving (alcohol, drug, alcohol/drug)

    • Contributory Cause Crash Violations

      • Speeding, electronic device use violations, disobeying traffic control device/signal, failure to yield, etc.

  • Conduct enforcement efforts during the 6 mandatory campaigns,

    • Thanksgiving (November)

    • Christmas/New Year’s (December/January)

    • St. Patrick’s Day (March)

    • Memorial Day (May)

    • Independence Day (June/July)

    • Labor Day (August/September)

  • Conduct pre and post enforcement media notifications 

  • Conduct traffic enforcement for a specified number of hours 

  • Obtain, collect, and report to IDOT/BSPE grant activity for the campaigns

 

Additional Enforcement Options

  • Additional enforcement can be done any time outside of a scheduled campaign

  • There are no time of day/day of week requirements

  • These enforcement efforts are intended to address jurisdiction-specific issues 

Optional STEP Campaigns

  • Agencies can participate in up to 5 optional campaigns to supplement a sustained enforcement effort,

    • Halloween (October)

    • Super Bowl (February)

    • Distracted Driving (April)

    • Speed Enforcement (July)

    • Child Passenger Safety (September)

    • Additional Enforcement - Enforcement efforts can be scheduled throughout the grant year, as needed outside of campaigns, to address specific traffic issues and problems. Focus is contributory cause crash violations.

 

Mini Grant Campaign

  • IDOT/BSPE also offers a “100 Days of Summer” grant for agencies who are not currently funded for a full year STEP grant.  This scaled down offering is designed to help agencies determine if the grant program will work to complement their traffic safety efforts. The grant runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

 

Grant Application Process

  • A Notice of Funding Opportunity is typically released/posted early January for the upcoming grant year. Grant years run from October 1st through September 30th of the following year

  • Once posted, agencies will have 45 days to complete an application. 

  • Easy, on-line application.

  • Notice of State Award (grant approval) are offered sometime mid to late summer.

 

Support

  • Law Enforcement Liaison Workgroup. Retired LE senior command officers with more than 150 years of experience, as a resource for agencies seeking or managing a grant.

  • Develop enforcement strategies for grant campaigns.

  • Completion and submission of grant application.

  • Resource once an agency is approved for a grant.

  • Assist with required reporting.

  • Provide strategic, tactical, and operational recommendations to be successful.

 

Obligation

  • There is no minimum or maximum number of hours your agency has to commit to for the grant.  

  • We recommend being conservative.  The LELs can assist with drafting an enforcement strategy.

  • Another point to know, if you apply, you are under no obligation to accept the grant if a state award is issued to your agency and circumstances have changed since your application.  There would be NO penalty or negative consideration with respect to future partnerships and opportunities with IDOT should you decline the award. 

 

 

Additional Information

bottom of page