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Policy Background
Overview of the Federal Safe Routes to School Program
In a sweeping effort to get more children walking and bicycling to schools across America, Congress approved $612 million over five years (FY05-09) for a new federal Safe Routes to School program as part of the federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU, which was adopted on July 29, 2005 and signed by the president August 10, 2005. Congress has extended the program at $183 million per year starting in FY2010 until a long-term transportation reauthorization is complete.
Each State Department of Transportation (DOT) receives annual federal funding from FY2005-2009 to implement the program. A state’s share of funding is based on the number of children enrolled in primary and middle schools (K-8), with a minimum allotment of $1,000,000 per year. Each state is required to have a full-time Safe Routes to School Coordinator to administer the program.
The purposes of the program and funding are:
1. to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school;
2. to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and
3. to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, air pollution in the vicinity of schools.
State DOTs may make grants to state, local, and regional agencies, including nonprofit organizations, to implement Safe Routes to School programs. The federal share for the grant is 100%.
Eligible activities for funding under Safe Routes to School include both infrastructure projects and non-infrastructure related activities. States must spend 70-90% of their funding on infrastructure projects that improve safety for children walking and bicycling to school. All improvements must be made within a two-mile radius of school. Eligible activities include:
• Infrastructure: Funds may be used for the planning, design and construction of projects that will substantially improve the ability of students to walk and bicycle to school, including sidewalks improvement, traffic calming, speed reduction improvements, street crossings, on-street bicycle facilities, off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities, secure bicycle parking, and traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools.
• Non-infrastructure: Funds may be used to encourage walking and bicycling to school, including public awareness campaigns, outreach to press and community leaders, traffic education and enforcement in the vicinity of schools, student sessions on bicycle and pedestrian safety, health, and environment, as well as funding for trainings, volunteers, and managers of Safe Routes to School programs. From 10 to 30% of the amount apportioned to each state will be used on non-infrastructure related activities.
The legislation also establishes a Safe Routes to School Clearinghouse—called the National Center for Safe Routes to School—to provide technical assistance to local SRTS programs and state SRTS coordinators. The Secretary of Transportation was also required to establish a national Safe Routes to School Task Force to assess the implementation of SRTS and make recommendations to advance the program.
Additional Information
For additional background on the federal Safe Routes to School program, please review the following resources:
• Full text of the federal Safe Routes to School legislation, which is Section 1404 of the SAFETEA-LU federal transportation bill.
• State funding allocations for SRTS
• SRTS guidance from the Federal Highway Administration
• Report from the National Safe Routes to School Task Force
• Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s Federal Goals for SRTS
• Resources from the National Center for Safe Routes to School
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