Safety Navigator for California Communities

Federal Transportation Grant Assistance for Local Agencies, Tribes, and Transportation Partners

Safety Navigator for California Communities (SNCC) is a Caltrans-funded initiative designed to help California local agencies, Tribes, and transportation partners successfully pursue federal transportation discretionary grants. Administered in coordination with Caltrans’ Division of Local Assistance, the program provides statewide training, technical assistance, and information-sharing focused on programs such as BUILD (formerly RAISE/TIGER) and other U.S. Department of Transportation funding opportunities.
 
The program emphasizes practical, NOFO-aligned guidance and prioritizes support for small, rural, Tribal, and historically underserved communities. By strengthening grant readiness and application quality, this effort supports Caltrans’ broader goal of improving access to federal transportation funding and advancing safe, resilient, and equitable transportation investments across California.

Statewide Training and Web Conferences

This site provides access to curated resources to support federal grant development and application preparation. Resources are selected to help agencies efficiently navigate complex federal requirements.

Available resources may include:

  • Federal discretionary grant program summaries
  • NOFO highlights and key changes
  • Application checklists and planning timelines
  • Webinar recordings and presentation materials
  • Links to federal guidance, tools, and data sources

Resources are updated regularly to reflect current funding opportunities and program guidance.

Tuesday, August 18th, 2026 at 9:00 am Pacific

Selecting the right safety improvement is one of the most important steps in developing a successful transportation project. The Intersection Safety and Operations Assessment Process (ISOAP), developed by Caltrans, provides a performance-based framework for evaluating intersection alternatives with safety as the primary objective. Rather than beginning with a predetermined solution, ISOAP helps agencies identify the most effective treatment by considering crash history, roadway context, operational performance, multimodal needs, and the Safe System Approach.

This webinar will introduce local agencies, Tribes, MPOs, and transportation practitioners to the ISOAP process and demonstrate how it can strengthen project development and improve competitiveness for state and federal funding opportunities. To learn more about the ISOAP program, visit the Caltrans website: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/isoap.

Each month, Safety Navigator for California Communities (SNCC) brings you FREE webinars featuring technical support, guidance, and curated expertise designed to help our transportation communities efficiently navigate complex federal requirements.  

Visit SNCC’s YouTube channel @SNCC-Cal-Poly or simply click the red icon to see past events, and be sure to register for upcoming webinars to receive support in real time! 

Technical Assistance and Connection

The program team welcomes questions, feedback, and requests for support. While individualized project reviews by USDOT are not permitted, this program provides general guidance and technical assistance consistent with federal requirements.

Through this site, agencies can:

Program Director

Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Cal Poly State University

San Luis Obispo

Debra Hood

Program Coordinator

Cal Poly Civil/Environmental Engineering Department

Email: dlhood@calpoly.edu