Infrastructure and Non-Infrastructure Grants

Safe Routes To School (SRTS) is an international movement that promotes walking and bicycling to school. In 2005, the United States Congress signed into law a federally funded Safe Routes to School Program, allocating money to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The goals of the program are as follows:

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, and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

Funds are for projects for schools with children in grades kindergarten through eighth (k-8). Wisconsin will receive funds through 2009 in order to achieve the intended goals of the program. Wisconsin anticipates having approximately $7.8M available between now and 2009. For 2007, approximately $3.1M was granted in infrastructure and non-infrastructure funding (not including planning awards). The remaining funds will be awarded in a second application period to be held in January 2008.

Eligible Projects
Eligible projects/activities must focus on children in kindergarten through eighth grades. Projects must be within a two-mile radius of any elementary or middle school

Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for infrastructure projects include any political subdivision of the state (city, village, town or county), Indian Tribes or state agency. For infrastructure projects the applicant must be the governmental unit that has jurisdiction over the affected property.

Eligible applicants for non-infrastructure activities include any state agency, county, local governmental unit (a municipality, regional planning commission, special purpose district or local governmental association, authority, board, commission, department, independent agency, institution or office) including schools, Indian Tribes or federally recognized non-profit organizations.

Funding
While Safe Routes to School projects are 100% fundable to the limit of the project award, it is important to note that grantees will be required to complete the project and then request reimbursement from WisDOT upon completion. It is not a “cash-up front” program. Costs incurred prior to FHWA project approval are not eligible for reimbursement.

In addition, ensure that you develop an accurate cost estimate. Any cost overruns will be the responsibility of the project applicant so it is important to have an accurate cost estimate.

SRTS projects are locally let projects, so grantees can choose their own contractors for facilities design and installation.

Minimum/Maximum Project Amounts
Applicants are encouraged to be as cost-effective as possible. To ensure efficient utilization of local and state administrative resources the minimum award amount for infrastructure projects is $25,000 and the minimum award amount for non-infrastructure is $10,000. No maximum award amount has been set. For 2007, infrastructure awards ranged from $8,000 to $318,000; non-infrastructure awards ranged from $1,750 to $242,000.

Grant Cycle Timeline
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website for more information about the grant cycle timeline.