Safety Navigator for california comunities

About

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.

Online Webinar Mar 17, 2026 09:00 AM in Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Quick-build traffic safety improvements are low-cost, rapidly deployed street design changes—such as paint, flexible posts, curb extensions, high-visibility crosswalks, and temporary materials—that improve safety in the near term while allowing agencies to test, adjust, and refine designs before permanent construction.

Join Safety Navigator for California Communities for a webinar featuring expert panelists from city, state, and private-sector organizations who have implemented quick-build projects on real streets. Panelists will share practical insights on when and why to use quick-build approaches, how to move from concept to installation quickly, lessons learned from implementation, and strategies for community engagement and stakeholder buy-in. This session is designed for public agency staff, planners, engineers, consultants, and partners looking to accelerate traffic safety improvements and deliver meaningful results faster.

ICYMI: Past Events

On February 4th, 2026, SNCC hosted California agencies and Tribes preparing FY 2026 BUILD applications to help strengthen submissions in the final weeks before the February 24th, 2026 deadline.  Check out the webinar recording on YouTube or by clicking the link to the left.

Please reach out to safety-navigator@calpoly.edu with any questions you may have and please subscribe to receive news of all trainings and support!

Program Updates and Upcoming Opportunities

This section highlights upcoming trainings, recent announcements, and relevant federal funding updates for California transportation agencies.

You’ll find:

  • Upcoming webinar schedules and registration links
  • Federal NOFO release and deadline alerts
  • Program news and updates
  • Highlights from recent trainings and events

Agencies are encouraged to monitor this section during active federal grant cycles.

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:

Anurag Pande, Ph.D.

Program Director

Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Cal Poly State University

San Luis Obispo
Email: apande@calpoly.edu

Debra Hood

Program Coordinator

Cal Poly Civil/Environmental Engineering Department

Email: dlhood@calpoly.edu