Safe Routes to School Grants Now Available

DENVER — Grant applications to help fund projects promoting safe and accessible opportunities for K-8 children to walk and bike to and from school are now available from the Colorado Department of Transportation.   

The state’s Safe Routes to School program will distribute up to $7 million for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects. Applicants must be a political subdivision of the state, including but not limited to schools and school districts, cities, counties, towns, and local improvement districts. Interested entities can register and apply through early November at: https://www.codot.gov/programs/bikeped/safe-routes.

Previously funded projects have included:

• Construction of a pedestrian bridge along with enhanced bike and pedestrian improvements at Lyons Elementary and Lyons Middle/Senior High Schools
• Improved intersections, sidewalks, curbing, and signage at Lincoln School of Science and Technology in Cañon City
• Expansion of Walk and Roll-a-thon programs in Durango

“We understand there is a lot of uncertainty around how schools will look and operate during these evolving times,” says CSRTS Program Manager Melissa Trecoske Houghton. “Perhaps now more than ever, we see the significant impact of safe, accessible routes for students to travel to and from school. Improvements like expanded sidewalks, bike and roll lanes, safe crossings and more may go beyond supporting students and their families with healthy options; they may even yield outdoor space for multiple purposes.”

Additional information on the CSRTS grants will be provided throughout the open application period. To sign up, please email [email protected].

SRTS is a federally-funded reimbursement program.  It was established in Colorado in 2004 to help get more children to bike and walk to school.

In addition to SRTS, other grant opportunities are available from CDOT to help communities make improvements to their infrastructure during COVID-19 and over the long-term. This includes:

• Revitalizing Main Streets, which isproviding funding to communities seeking to make creative modifications to state roadways or other public spaces as a way of promoting social distancing and economic activity. 
• CanDo Community Teleworkis building on existing transportation demand management efforts, providing information, incentives, resources, and support to entities that want to make the best possible use of available transportation options. 

Information regarding both programs is at: https://www.codot.gov/programs/community-challenge.

• Safer Main Streetshelps fund projects in the Greater Denver area that improve safety and accessibility along non-freeway corridors for vulnerable users who depend on a reliable urban street network, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, transit users, the elderly, and those with disabilities.  This initiative is a collaborative effort between CDOT and the Denver Regional Council of Governments. More information is available at: https://www.codot.gov/programs/safermainstreets.