Infrastructure & Non-Infrastructure Eligibility

The list below provides examples of eligible infrastructure projects. Applicants should work with their local road agency to ensure that infrastructure treatments are feasible in their proposed location. To be eligible for funding, the primary beneficiaries of all infrastructure treatments must be any K-12 students walking or bicycling between home and school.

• Sidewalk improvements: new sidewalks, sidewalk widening, sidewalk gap closures, sidewalk repairs, and curb ramps.
• 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 such as exclusive multi-use trails and pathways that are separated from a roadway.
• 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.
• Pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements including pavement markings, signals, median refuges, new or upgraded traffic signals, bicycle-sensitive signal actuation devices, pedestrian countdown signals, and pedestrian activated signal upgrades. Note: If a traffic control device requires minimum warrants to be satisfied prior to their installation, the cost for a required traffic study will not be funded by SRTS funds. See Active Transportation Electronic Traffic Control Devices for more information.
• Secure bicycle parking facilities such as bicycle parking racks, bicycle lockers, and covered bicycle shelters. Note: Bicycle parking facilities must be placed on public (not private) property, and must comply with the Buy America Act.
• Traffic calming and speed reduction improvements including roundabouts, bulb-outs, median refuges, narrowed traffic lanes, lane reductions, full- or half-street closures, and sight distance improvements.
• Lighting that directly impacts the sidewalks and trails students take between home and school.
• Remote drop-off sites. Note: Remote drop-off sites must be a minimum of ¼ mile from the school to be eligible for funding.
• Note: All facilities must be designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

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 your grant coordinator.

Listed below are examples of infrastructure treatments and items that are ineligible for federal Safe Routes to School funding:

• Costs for preliminary engineering (design) and construction engineering (including, but not limited to, inspection and staking)
• Construction extras and cost overruns
• Environmental clearance and mitigation
• Improvements to bus routes or stops
• Improvements to pick-up and drop-off areas or parking lots that do not primarily benefit children walking and bicycling to school
• Landscaping
• Permit costs
• Professional services (e.g. consultants)
• Project administration
• Property acquisition (construction access, purchase of right of way, etc.)
• Raised crosswalks
• Sidewalks or other pathways on school property that do not connect directly with community sidewalk systems (e.g. connecting schools on a campus)
• Sidewalks or other pathways with the primary purpose of connecting the school with recreational facilities, athletic facilities or commercial areas
• Stand-alone curb ramps, which should be done with other funds to meet ADA requirements
• Supplanting or replacing any existing funding
• The costs for required traffic signal warrant studies

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

• Student pedestrian safety education
• Bicycle rodeos or other bicycle safety programs
• Portable bicycle parking racks
• Personal safety education
• Parent and community-wide SRTS and walking route education
• Map development showing preferred walking and bicycling routes to school
• Training adult volunteers to assist with student pedestrian and bicycle safety (e.g. training adult walking school bus drivers and bicycle train leaders)
• Funding for a part-time SRTS coordinator
• Walking school buses and bicycle trains led by adult volunteers
• Walking school bus and bicycle train supplies, including reflective vests for participants and leaders
• Weekly or bi-weekly Walk to School Days and/or Bicycle to School Days
• Frequent walker/bicyclist programs and mileage clubs
• Friendly competitions between classrooms or individuals that recognize accumulated mileage walking or bicycling to and from school over a period of time
• Activities to encourage parents to allow their children to walk or bicycle to school
• Modest encouragement items (incentives) to increase the number of walkers and bikers (refer to the current list of eligible and ineligible encouragement items for more information)
• Increased law enforcement around the school and on the school routes during the times when students are traveling to and from school
• Progressive ticketing programs
• Programs enforcing school policies for pedestrians and bicyclists during arrival and dismissal
• Programs enforcing the rules that already exist for pedestrian and bicycle safety, such as snow removal or cars blocking sidewalks
• Volunteer safety patrol and corner captain programs including training and supplies
• All programs receiving federal funding will be required to conduct SRTS post-test surveys as part of their award. A small number of SRTS coordinator hours may be funded for this purpose.

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 your grant coordinator.

Listed below are examples of non-infrastructure projects and programs that are ineligible for federal Safe Routes to School funding:

• Abandoned building demolition
• Adult or student raffle items to reward meeting attendance
• Annual Walk to School Day or Bike to School Day events
• Anti-bullying curriculum
• At-school walking clubs (e.g. lunchtime or recess walking clubs)
• Refreshments or meals
• Computers, laptops, iPads/tablets, iPods/MP3 players, smart boards, or other electronic equipment
• Crossing guard salaries
• Equipment for infrastructure maintenance (e.g. powered snow removal equipment)
• Gang violence prevention programs
• Gift cards
• Graffiti removal or general neighborhood clean-up or beautification programs
• Handbooks and manuals with information that can be obtained from the Michigan Fitness Foundation
• Headphones/earbuds
• In-school physical education activities
• Newsletters and flyers with information that can be obtained from the Michigan Fitness Foundation
• Nutrition education activities
• Salaries or stipends for positions currently funded from another source
• Salaries or stipends for multi-year positions
• Security cameras
• Stray animal removal and vaccination programs
• Video production