Background
Established in the Federal Transportation Bill of 2005 – SAFETEA-LU – the Federal Safe Routes to School program provides funding to enable and encourage primary and secondary school children to walk and bicycle to school. The federal program requirements were established in SAFETEA-LU and they differ from those established for Pennsylvania’s Home Town Streets/Safe Routes to School program. The new Federal SRTS program requirements are described below:
Federal SRTS Program Requirements
o This is not a grant program
o This is a federal cost reimbursement program; no funding is provided upfront
o Projects are 100% federally-funded and do not require a local match
o All projects phases are eligible for funding, but only after the project has been approved by PennDOT and the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA)
o All Federal Aid Highway (NEPA, competitive bidding, Davis Bacon prevailing wage rates, etc.) requirements must be followed
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Program Basics
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o Funding – The total funding for the 2008 round is limited to $12,649,000, so only the most effective/efficient projects are likely to be funded. The maximum federal cost reimbursement will be $1,000,000 per project.
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o Infrastructure only – This funding cycle will be for infrastructure building projects only; such as sidewalks, crosswalks, signals, etc. However, project sponsors will asked to descibe how they have incorporated the “Five Es of SRTS” into their overall project. Funding for projects dealing with the "soft" (non-infrastructure) side of the program such as education , encouragement, training , etc. will be funded through PANA.
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o The “Five Es of Safe Routes to School” – All projects will be asked to describe how they will incorporate the five Es of Safe Routes to School: education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and engineering. To facilitate this effort, the project sponsor will be asked to describe the activities that address the five Es on the application. Evaluation of the program (via in class travel tallies and take home parent surveys) will be required prior to and after construction of any new facilities.
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o Location of Projects - Infrastructure improvements must be physically located in the public right of way and within approximately two miles of a kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) school. Additionally, improvements to the walking and bicycling infrastructure may only be on routes that directly connect residential areas to schools.
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o Eligible Projects – Generally, physical improvements that enhance student safety and/or promote walking and bicycling to school will be acceptable. Eligible projects would include (but are not limited to) sidewalks, crossing improvements, traffic calming measures, signs, signals, bike storage facilities, and other similar features. See “Eligible Construction Improvements” near the bottom of the page.
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| o Beneficiaries – Students in kindergarten through eighth grade must be the primary beneficiary of any proposed physical improvements. |
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o Applicants –
- There are five possible project sponsors: School districts, individual schools, municipalities, county governments, and MPOs/RPOs.
- The sponsor must demonstrate the capacity to fulfill all Federal Aid Highway requirements, work with PennDOT to advance the project, accept fiduciary responsibility, provide maintenance for infrastructure improvements, and coordinate the infrastructure and non-infrastructure requirements, among other things. For more information on the local project process, please see PennDOT Pub 535: Overview Of PennDOT Local Project Processes.
- All participating schools and municipalities must agree to participate in the project – by resolution – and be listed on the application.
- Non-profit agencies cannot sponsor a project. However, they are encouraged to work with schools and municipalities during all any and all phases of a SRTS project.
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Eligible Construction Improvements
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| o Sidewalk improvements: new sidewalks, sidewalk widening, sidewalk gap closures, sidewalk repairs, curbs, gutters, and curb ramps. |
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| o Traffic calming and speed reduction improvements: roundabouts, bulb-outs, speed humps, raised crossings, raised intersections, median refuges, narrowed traffic lanes, lane reductions, full- or half-street closures, automated speed enforcement, and variable speed limits. |
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| o Pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements: crossings, median refuges, raised crossings, raised intersections, traffic control devices (including new or upgraded traffic signals, pavement markings, traffic stripes, in-roadway crossing lights, flashing beacons, bicycle-sensitive signal actuation devices, pedestrian countdown signals, vehicle speed feedback signs, and pedestrian activated signal upgrades), and sight distance improvements. |
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| o 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. |
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| o Off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities: exclusive multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trails and pathways that are separated from a roadway. |
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| o Secure bicycle parking facilities: bicycle parking racks, bicycle lockers, designated areas with safety lighting, and covered bicycle shelters. |
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| o 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. |
Ineligible Projects Expenses
o Aesthetic enhancements - items that serve to enhance the aesthetic quality of a corridor (lighting, landscaping, decorative crosswalks, etc.)
o Student pickup/drop off – projects that serve to increase the convenience of pickup and drop off of school students.
o Bus safety improvements – projects that serve to promote bus safety or bus stops.
o School connection projects – projects that serve to connect schools to after school facilities such as a library, park, or other school.
o Infrastructure improvements made in the absence of the required non-infrastructure activities. |