Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

State Aid for Local Transportation

E-Scene September 2026

2026 Greater Minnesota local HSIP Solicitation now open – $22.8 million available

By: Girma Feyissa, State Aid Traffic Safety Engineer

The 2026 Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) solicitation for Greater Minnesota (non-metro areas) is open. City, county and tribal transportation agencies can apply for funding to support roadway safety improvement projects.

Application deadline:

Submit completed applications to the MnDOT Office of Traffic Engineering at SafetyProject.DOT@state.mn.us by November 25, 2026.

Optional pre-submission review:

To confirm your application is complete and properly documented, you may request a preliminary review by emailing girma.feyissa@state.mn.us no later than October 31, 2026.

Key program updates

1. Special Rumble Strip Program (100 pecent federally funded – no cost to locals)

As a follow-up to the 2025 pilot solicitations, and due to the success of the pilot program, MnDOT is launching an additional round to install rumble strips on local roadways—no local match required.

Program highlights:

  • MnDOT will hire a consultant for Preliminary and Construction Engineering at no cost to local agencies.
  • Construction will be fully funded through federal sources—local agencies pay nothing.
  • Local agencies are only responsible for inspecting the completed work on their roadways.
  • The application form and spreadsheet will be available on the State Aid Traffic Safety webpage.

This pilot program complements; but is separate from the traditional HSIP program. It focuses on reducing lane departure crashes and lowering financial and administrative burden to implementing proven safety measures.

2. Traditional HSIP program announcement

For all other safety improvement projects submitted under the 2026 HSIP solicitation.

Program highlights:

  • Local match: 10 percent required.
  • Multi-county/districtwide projects: May qualify for up to 100 percent funding; engineering costs may be eligible for 90 percent.
  • Funding cap: $750,000 per location per jurisdiction. Agencies can submit projects that exceed the cap. The selection committee will review each project and decide to raise the cap or not based on available funds and the project's intent to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.
  • Pedestrian/bicycle safety: Projects in this category are encouraged and may receive bonus points.
  • Spot location applications: MnDOT will calculate benefit-cost ratios for consistency.

3. Shared requirements and resources (applies to all project types in bullet #1 and #2 above)

  • MPO coordination:
    • Projects within MPO boundaries require early coordination and a letter of support. Engage your MPO early to streamline this process.
  • Resources:
  • Webinars: MnDOT will host the following Microsoft Teams webinars:
    • HSIP webinars: September 21, October 19, and November 2, 2026.
    • Each session will cover identical content within its category. The pilot webinars focus specifically on the rumble strip program and differ from the general HSIP webinars.
Webinar meeting details:
  • Monday, September 21, 2026 from 10 a.m - 11 a.m.
  • Monday, October 19, 2026 from 11 a.m. - Noon
  • Monday, November 2, 2026 from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Need help?

For questions or assistance with your application, contact girma.feyissa@state.mn.us.