MoDOT Safe Routes to School Funding: How it works, how to apply (Deadline April 15th!)

The application period for MoDOT's Safe Routes to School program is open through April 15th, 2011, and John Schaefer of MoDOT, coordinator of the program, recently presented a webinar How to Apply for MoDOT Safe Routes to School Funding.  

Missouri students walking to school

• View the webinar online here (audio and slides; Q&A period at the end)
• Download the powerpoint presentation (slides only)

The webinar, hosted by the Missouri Safe Routes to School Network, covered these topics:

• What Safe Routes to School is
• What are the benefits of Safe Routes to School
• How does MoDOT's Safe Routes to School grant program work
• How to apply for MoDOT Safe Routes to School funding

MoDOT's Safe Routes to School program distributes about $3.3 million of federal funding each year.  The funding can be used for projects like:

• Sidewalks, crosswalks, on-street bicycle facilities, off-street bicycle or pedestrian facilities, and safety signage near schools
• Traffic calming or traffic diversion near schools
• Bicycle racks or secure storage areas
• Programs to promote and encourage walking and bicycling to school or teach safety

More details about the grants:

• These funds can be used for projects to that help students bicycle and walk to school and that are located within two miles of a school.
• Schools with students in grades K-8 are eligible
• Both public and private schools are eligible
• The grant applicant can be a city, county, school, school district, law enforcement agency, other government agency, or nonprofit organization
• The SRTS grants can fund both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.  However for the Spring 2011 funding round, only infrastructure applications are accepted
• Infrastructure applications can include up to $5000 for non-infrastructure activities--typically education and encouragement programs to help students and parents change their habits and start using the newly build infrastructure once it is in place
• For infrastructure grants (the only type available in this round of funding) the most typical applicant is the city or county, with schools, law enforcement organizations, and other community organizations or individuals as partners
• This is a simplified summary--many more details about requirements for grants, applicants, and applications are in the webinar and administrative guidelines

Resources mentioned during the presentation:

• MoDOT's Safe Routes to School Program home page, with grant application guidelines and a list of previous grant awards
• MoDOT Safe Routes to School Grant Application Page (if you haven't applied before, you'll need to call the MoDOT SRTS office  at 573-751-4161 or 800-800-2358 and 
  indicate you need a user_id and password for Safe Routes to School--see page 15 of the administrative guidelines)
• A summary of the benefits of Safe Routes to School
• Safe Routes to School resources from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, including parent and teacher surveys (found under the Evaluation heading)
• First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign
• The Missouri Safe Routes to School Network home page
• Missouri Safe Routes to School resources

You can join the Missouri Safe Routes to School Network, which meets by Teleconference the fourth Tuesday of each month at 9:30am, by emailing missouri@saferoutespartnership.org.