Safe Routes to School in Small Rural Communities: Challenges and Strategies to Accessing Funding | SafeRoutesInfo.org

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Under the last two Federal transportation bills, States have been required to set aside a portion of their funding for active transportation and Safe Routes to School to support rural communities with 5,000 or less residents. However, the set-aside does not guarantee that these communities are able to access this funding or support students in safely walking and bicycling to school, and a variety of challenges can affect a community’s ability to benefit from the funds.

Communities, whether rural, urban or suburban, often have a mix of reasons for needing increased attention on walking and bicycling. Rural communities have a special need for the benefits of Safe Routes to School and active transportation. Rural communities have higher levels of physical inactivity than urban areas, high injury and fatality rates from collisions, and poorer infrastructure for safe and convenient walking and bicycling.

Accessing funding for Safe Routes to School and walking and bicycling can be a real opportunity to address these needs. This informational brief provides an overview of the challenges that small rural communities face in accessing Federal funding for and implementing active transportation projects, describes State outreach, technical assistance, and partnership approaches that support these communities, and highlights places that have successfully used Federal funds to improve safety and accessibility for walking and bicycling.

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Safe Routes to School in Small Rural Communities: Challenges and Strategies to Accessing Funding | SafeRoutesInfo.org