Safe Routes to School

GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE

The Safe Routes to Schools Program is a Federal-Aid program of the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration.  The program was created by Section 1404 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Act.  The legislation makes available $612 million in Federal funds.  Each state will receive a portion of the funds based on its percentage of the national total of school-aged children in grades K-8.   West Virginia will receive a minimum of $1 million each year for a total of at least $5 million dollars.

Seventy to 90 percent of funds are for Infrastructure-Related Projects, which may range from a minimum total cost of $10,000 to a maximum total cost of $100,000.  Such projects may be carried out on any public road or any bicycle or pedestrian pathway or trail in the vicinity of schools (approximately two [2] miles). 

Eligible Infrastructure-Related Projects, the Engineering component, include funding for the planning, design, and construction of Infrastructure-Related Projects that will substantially improve the ability of students to walk and bicycle to school, may include:

• Sidewalk Improvements: new sidewalks, sidewalk widening, sidewalk gap closures, sidewalk repairs, curbs, gutters, and curb ramps.

•  Traffic Calming and Speed Reduction Improvements: roundabouts, bulb-outs, speed humps, raised crossings, raised intersections, median refuges, narrowed traffic lanes, lane reductions, full- or half-street closures, automated speed enforcement, and variable speed limits.

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing Improvements: crossings, median refuges, raised crossings, raised intersections, traffic control devices (including new or upgraded traffic signals, pavement markings, traffic stripes, in-roadway crossing lights, flashing beacons, bicycle-sensitive signal actuation devices, pedestrian countdown signals, vehicle speed feedback signs, and pedestrian activated signal upgrades), and sight distance improvements. 

• On-Street Bicycle Facilities: new or upgraded bicycle lanes, widened outside lanes or roadway shoulders, geometric improvements, turning lanes, channelization and roadway realignment, traffic signs, and pavement markings. 

• Off-Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities: exclusive multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trails and pathways that are separated from a roadway. 

• Secure Bicycle Parking Facilities: bicycle parking racks, bicycle lockers, designated areas with safety lighting, and covered bicycle shelters. 

• Traffic Diversion Improvements: separation of pedestrians and bicycles from vehicular traffic adjacent to school facilities, and traffic diversion away from school zones or designated routes to a school.

Please Note: All Infrastructure-Related Projects must submit for the Non-Infrastructure-Related Activity Components of Education, Encouragement, Enforcement and Evaluation.  

No less than 10 percent and no more than 30 percent of funds are required to be spent on Non-Infrastructure-Related Activities, which may range from a minimum total cost of $5,000 to a maximum total cost of $30,000.

Eligible Non-Infrastructure-Related Activities include funding for the four supporting components, specifically:

• Education – Teaching children about the broad range of transportation choices, instructing them in important lifelong bicycling and walking safety skills, and launching Driver safety campaigns in the vicinity of schools. School teachers, health professionals, law enforcement officers, and certified bicycle safety instructors may provide education. Photocopying, duplicating, and mailing and printing costs, including pedestrian and bicycle safety education CDs, DVDs. Conduct of Safe Routes to School Workshops that target school and community-level audiences will be scheduled with the Safe Routes to School Coordinator.  
  

• Encouragement – Using events and activities to promote walking and bicycling. Examples are Annual Walk to School; Walking School Buses; Bicycle Trains; Golden Sneaker Award; and modest incentives such as water bottles, pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, colored pencils, chalk, Frisbees, fluorescent zipper pulls and slap bracelets, wash off tattoos, balloons, stickers, certificates, banners, foam board, signs, maps, and pedometers.
  

• Enforcement – Partnering with local law enforcement to ensure traffic laws are obeyed in the vicinity of schools, which includes enforcement of speeds, yielding to pedestrians in crossings, proper walking and bicycling behaviors, and initiating community enforcement such as adult crossing guard programs. This may include equipment such as Class 2 safety vests, hand-held stop paddles, reflective fluorescent traffic cones, and adult crossing guard training.  
  

• Evaluation – Monitoring and documenting outcomes and trends through the collection of data before and after the intervention(s) using standardized student and parent surveys, including costs for data gathering, analysis, and evaluation reporting.

Who May Apply?

Applicants include any state, local and regional agency, including nonprofit organizations registered with the WV Secretary of State’s Office and having Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service Tax Determination as a Non-Profit Organization [501 (c) (3)].  Funds provided for this program are on a 100 percent eligible cost reimbursement from Federal Highway Administration, which is managed through the West Virginia Division of Highways. 

Note: Any work performed by the applicant prior to receiving written “Notice to Proceed” is not eligible for reimbursement.  Additionally, the official Sponsor must be identified within the Infrastructure-Related Project or Non-Infrastructure-Related Activity application, and that Sponsor must be willing and able to enter into the required Agreements, as well as to fulfill the necessary maintenance responsibilities for the Infrastructure-Related Project.