Safe Routes 2 School

A hands on program to encourage walking and biking to to school.

Funding Information


Federal Safe Routes to School Funding


The federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program was created by Section 1404 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which was signed into public law (P.L. 109-59) on August 10, 2005.

As a result of this legislation, every state now has dedicated dollars to help with infrastructure improvements (e.g. new sidewalks and traffic calming projects) and noninfrastructure activities to encourage and enable students to walk and bicycle to school.

The federal Safe Routes to School Program is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety. Listed below are some of the key elements of the legislation and portions of the guidance issued by FHWA or the Michigan Department of Transportation. Full program guidance is available on the FHWA website.


Statutory Purposes


The statutory purposes of the federal Safe Routes to School program are:

  1. To enable and encourage all children to walk and bike to school. 
  2. To make bicycling and walking to school safer and more appealing alternative modes of transportation. 
  3. To develop projects and encourage activities that will improve student health and safety while reducing traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of schools. 


Eligible Projects and Programs


Listed below are examples of infrastructure and noninfrastructure projects and programs that are eligible for federal Safe Routes to School funding:

  • Sidewalks 
  • Traffic calming and speed reduction 
  • Pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements 
  • On-street and off-street bicycle facilities 
  • Off-street pedestrian facilities 
  • Traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools 
  • Activities to encourage walking and bicycling to school 
  • Public awareness campaign, community outreach 
  • Traffic enforcement operations in the vicinity of schools 
  • Traffic education 
  • Student training sessions (bicycle and pedestrian safety) 
  • Funding for training volunteers and managers of Safe Routes to School programs

Additional actions may be eligible if they fit within the constraints identified in the legislation and can be shown to contribute to the achievement of program purposes and desired outcomes.

For questions regarding the eligibility of projects not included on the above list, contact Bryan Armstrong, MDOT Safe Routes to School Coordinator at (517) 335-2636.


Other Program Parameters


Note: this list is not exhaustive. Refer to the guidance in the federal funding application for more information

  • The federal Safe Routes to School program is for elementary and middle school students in grades K-8. A school must have at least one grade in the K-8 range in order to apply for funding. 
  • Eligible recipients include state, local and regional agencies, including nonprofit organizations. 
  • Funding is 100 percent federal; no local match is required. 
  • Infrastructure projects must be constructed within a 2-mile radius of the school.


Funding Prerequisite


As a prerequisite for funding eligibility, schools must complete a school-based planning process culminating in the creation of a Safe Routes to School Action Plan. This process-described in the SR2S Handbook-involves:

  1. Forming a multidisciplinary team of local stakeholders (SR2S Team module); 
  2. Collecting baseline data on parent and student behaviors and attitudes towards walking and bicycling (Behaviors and Attitudes module); 
  3. Conducting environmental audits of the school grounds and the surrounding neighborhoods/ areas (Safe Routes module) 
  4. Completing a SR2S Action Plan that addresses the issues identified through the survey process or through the environmental audits (Making Change module). 


► Submit a federal funding application



Other Sources of Funding for SR2S Programs


FHWA - Recreational Trails Program

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) provides funds to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP is an assistance program of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Federal transportation funds benefit recreational activities such as hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicle riding, four-wheel driving, or using other off-road motorized vehicles.

For more information, visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails.


FHWA - Transportation Enhancement Program

Transportation Enhancement (TE) activities offer funding opportunities to help expand transportation choices and enhance the transportation experience through 12 eligible TE activities related to surface transportation, including pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and safety programs, scenic and historic highway programs, landscaping and scenic beautification, historic preservation, and environmental mitigation. TE projects must relate to surface transportation and must qualify under one or more of the 12 eligible categories.

For more information, visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/te.