I. INTRODUCTION:

The Illinois Traffic Records Program is designed to improve statewide traffic data systems. The Traffic Records data system includes the collection, management, and analysis of traffic safety data. It is comprised of six core data systems: crash; driver; vehicle; roadway; citation and adjudication; and injury surveillance.

This program is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and in cooperation with the Illinois Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (TRCC). The Traffic Records Program offers grant funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These grants are commonly referred to as 405(c) grants.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024. Dates of operation are from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Applicants may have the potential for agreement renewal. This is at the grantor's discretion.

II. PROJECT GOAL:
Improve the Illinois core traffic data systems: crash; driver; vehicle; roadway; citation and adjudication; and injury surveillance.

III. GRANT PROPOSAL GUIDANCE:

Project proposals submitted must address traffic data systems for the entire state. Proposals must also address at least one of the critical data systems that make up an ideal traffic records system - Crash, Roadway, Driver, Vehicle, Citation and Adjudication, and Injury Surveillance.

Projects must also improve or enhance the Timeliness, Accuracy, Completeness, Uniformity, Integration, and/or Accessibility of the data included in the systems listed above.

Applicants must provide clear and convincing evidence that the requested project will meet these target objectives. In addition, the applicant must define specific, quantifiable performance measures and certify how these performance measures will be regularly monitored and reported.

Projects must show how measurable improvement to a core data system will be achieved. The baseline and the projected improvement must be demonstrated. An example a measurable outcome would be, “To increase timeliness of submitted data from 100 days to 80 days.”

Proposed activities under this program can address a wide variety of highway safety objectives including the following areas:

• Develop and implement effective programs to improve the timeliness, accuracy, completeness, uniformity, integration, and/or accessibility of Illinois data systems.

• Maintain a traffic records system that supports the data-driven, science-based decision-making necessary to identify problems, develop, deploy, and evaluate countermeasures.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to integrate Illinois traffic data systems. The integrated databases will identify risk factors, protective factors, and outcomes of motor vehicle crashes and improve knowledge of how motor vehicle crashes affect types of injuries and injury severity.

Program applicants must also demonstrate how their request will help meet BSPE’s performance targets. Supplemental materials to aid in the development of the application narrative and budget can be found at the IDOT Grants website or the IDOT Traffic Records website.

IV. PROJECT FUNDING GUIDANCE:

Funding for these types of projects is limited. Current or past funding of projects in this program does not guarantee future funding for continuance of any project.

• Equipment only projects are not allowed.
• Equipment purchases over $5,000 must have a detailed description of the item and an explanation of need.

V. UPDATED POLICIES AND GUIDANCE FOR FFY SFY 2025:

INDIRECT COSTS:
Due to Rules contained in the State Finance Act, IDOT can only pay for direct grant related expenses on behalf of the State Agency. IDOT cannot pay for indirect costs and cannot pay the State Agency directly for expenditures.

EMPLOYEES PERCENTAGE OF WORK:
Full-time employees at your agency that work a percentage of their time on a grant, shall be paid based on that percentage. Percentage of time must be a round number like 50%.

PART-TIME EMPLOYEES:
Part-time employees shall be paid on an hourly rate.

FRINGE FOR NON-ENFORCEMENT PART-TIME EMPLOYEES:
Fringe can be paid for non-enforcement staff members based on their percentage of work. Example: If a staff member works 50% for the grant, IDOT will reimburse up to the fringe rate for 50% of the fringe cost.

PROGRAMMATIC INCOME/IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS:
Program Income will no longer be collected unless the grantee submits a proposal to the Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering and then received written approval for the collection and use of program income/in-kind contributions.

If approved, program income/in-kind contributions funds must be treated as federal dollars and must abide by all state and federal guidelines. These funds are to be expended in the grant year they were collected.

INVENTORY CONTROL:
Any items purchased over $1,000, are required to be tracked and monitored by both the grantees agency and IDOT. This inventory will be monitored throughout the grant program. This inventory list must contain name of item, location of item, and unique identifier number for each item. How this is established is up to the grantees discretion but must have the required information described above.

If equipment above $1,000 is replaced with a new item and the previous was purchased with federal funds, the previous item will need to be turned into IDOT or disposed of properly. IDOT must be informed of what was disposed of and when. Then inventory control lists must reflect this change. If it is not returned or disposed of properly the new item will not be reimbursed.

The Safety Grant Administrator will inspect annually any item purchased more than $1,000. Equipment purchased with grant funds of $5,000.00 or more will have the BSPE 36 Major Equipment Inventory Inspection form completed and put in the project file.

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES EXPLANATION:

Equipment: (2 CFR 200.439)
Equipment means tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals $1,000 or more. Equipment with a purchase price of over $5,000 requires prior approval from the State Highway Safety Office and NHTSA.

Examples: Golf Cart, Seat Belt Convincer, Internet server, etc.

Equipment Monitoring:
All pieces of equipment will be monitored until disposed of. Grantees are required to keep detailed information on where the equipment is and must present it when requested by IDOT. Equipment is only to be disposed of when it is no longer useful and IDOT must be informed of the disposal.

Supplies: (2 CFR 200.94)
Supplies means all tangible personal property other than those described in Equipment. Tangible personal property with a purchase price less than $1,000 per unit. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than the $1,000, regardless of the length of its useful life. See also §§200.20 Computing devices and 200.33 Equipment. Generally, supplies include any materials that are expendable or consumed during the course of the project.

Examples: Pens, Pencils, Printer Paper, laptop under $1,000, calculator, tablet, etc.
 
TECHNOLOGY GUIDELINES FOR GRANTEES:

Personal Cell Phone and Data:

The Illinois Department of Transportation will not provide salary stipends, expense reimbursements, payments on behalf of grantees, or any reimbursement (via Purchasing Card or direct bill) to cover costs associated with use of personal cell phones, data plans, or other equipment with cellular connectivity used while performing business related activities.

Personal/Home Internet:
The Illinois Department of Transportation will not provide salary stipends, expense reimbursements, payments on behalf of grantees, or any reimbursement (via Purchasing Card or direct bill) to cover costs associated with use of personal/home Internet services used while performing business related activities.

Computers/Laptop/Tablet Purchases:

If computers/laptops/tablets were approved in the grantees budget they still need prior approval from the Grantor before making the purchase. Computing devices/laptops/computers have a limit of $999 dollars.

If the grantee is replacing a computing device and the previous computing device was purchased with federal funds it must be returned to the Grantor after the new computing device is received.

Any purchase request over $999 requires justification with required documentation submitted to the Traffic Records Coordinator prior to purchase. After reviewing the Safety Grant Administrator will deem it allowable or denied.

Criteria for Approval Determination of a computing device:
● Computer charges must meet the same fundamental standards as all other charges to federal awards:
● They must be reasonable
● There must be an informed, prudent decision regarding the cost, utility, and value to the project
● They must be allowable
● They must be directly allocable
● The primary/principle use of the computer and related costs must be directly allocable to the purpose, goals, and activities of the funded projects.
● They must be necessary for the project
● Computers must be essential for project activities; and use should be sufficiently tracked to be adequately justified in the event of audit.

Please see Purchasing Computing Devices with Federal Funds (applicable Uniform Guidance Sections 2 CFR Part 200.20 and 200.453) for further explanation.