Two Democratic senators announced Safe Streets and Roads for All awards Friday, the only releases on a day running 95% below the Friday average.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program pushed $36.5 million into two states Friday, with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., each anchoring announcements on the same grant program on the same morning.
The back-to-back releases — separated by less than two hours — mark the only Senate communications of the day. The chamber is in a pre-election state work period, and with no scheduled votes, the SS4A rollout was the day's entire output.
Volume ran 94.8% below the Friday average of 38.8 releases.
SS4A grants: Pennsylvania awards
Fetterman announced $20.5 million for Pennsylvania communities through the Department of Transportation's Fiscal Year 2026 SS4A Grant Program. The awards target Westmoreland County and the Municipality of Monroeville.
Westmoreland County receives $4,750,000 for a post-crash care coordination initiative — the Golden Hour Initiative — focused on severe roadway crashes. Monroeville receives $3,342,912 to reconfigure a five-leg intersection near Forbes Hospital.
"These grants show that the federal government and our communities can work together to tackle street safety," said Fetterman. "I was proud to fight for the $8 million heading to Westmoreland County and Monroeville, and I'm grateful for the Department of Transportation's commitment to making Pennsylvania's streets safer."
Local officials credited the senator's engagement. "This $4.75 million federal grant application is an important investment in roadway safety, transportation technology, and first-responder training throughout Westmoreland County," said Sean Kertes, Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners Chairman, in the release. "I want to thank Senator John Fetterman for his attention to Pennsylvania's infrastructure and support for safer communities."
SS4A grants: Oregon awards
Merkley and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with U.S. Reps. Janelle Bynum and Andrea Salinas, announced $16 million heading to Marion, Polk, Klamath, and Deschutes counties for comprehensive road and street safety plans under the same SS4A program.
"Whether walking, driving, or biking, Oregonians in every corner of the state deserve safe streets and roads in their communities to get where they need to go," said Merkley. "I will continue working to ensure every Oregonian can move about their daily lives conveniently, without fear of accident or injury."
Wyden tied the timing to seasonal conditions. "Safe roads and streets are a must for drivers, walkers and cyclists throughout Oregon, especially in these months when the nights get longer and the weather becomes worse," he said.
The Oregon awards include $4 million each to the City of Salem and the Klamath County Sheriff's Office — both for multi-jurisdiction safety action plans that incorporate post-crash care demonstration projects. The SS4A program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Signals
- volumeFriday output of 2 releases is 94.8% below the Friday average of 38.8 — the lowest single-day count in the current tracking window.
- recessThe Senate is in a pre-election state work period with no scheduled votes, which accounts in part for the near-total communications blackout.
- coordinatedBoth releases announce awards from the same DOT program (SS4A, FY2026) and were published within 110 minutes of each other by Democratic senators in different states.
- silent breaksSen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, has now gone 108 days without a public release — the longest active silence in the tracked roster.
Quiet desks
Senators with no release in two weeks or more.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC108d
- Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK106d
- Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS100d
- Sen. Peter Welch, D-VT66d
- Sen. John Kennedy, R-LA43d