|
|

 |
|
Approved projects and funding amounts awarded for:
|
|
Next Application Deadline:
October 1, 2008
|
|
SRTS is a rising
international effort to increase safety and promote walking and bicycling
to school through the “5 Es”: engineering, education, enforcement,
encouragement, and evaluation. The 2005 SAFETEA-LU federal transportation
bill included a new SRTS federal funding source of $612 million over five
years for both infrastructure and noninfrastructure reimbursement grants.
|
 |
|
Over the past two to three decades, there
has been an incredible rise in obesity and physical inactivity in kids and
adults. The impact on health and health-care costs is high and will
continue to rise dramatically. In 1969, roughly half of all kids
walked or biked to school. Now, it’s about 15 percent. For
school trips less than one mile, 29 percent walk or bike. There is a
strong correlation between communities with good bicycle and pedestrian
environments, and having more active residents. Air quality and
traffic congestion around schools has also become an issue.
Watch SRTS video;
SRTS PowerPoint Presentation
|
 |
|
Summary of the SRTS grant
program
-
Iowa: $1.00M (FY05), $0.99M (FY06), $1.08M (FY07), $1.33M (FY08), $1.67M
(FY09)
-
100
percent federal share – no local funding match required; reimbursement
grants
-
Eligible applicants: for
infrastructure projects - local and state governments; for
noninfrastructure projects - local and state governments, regional agencies, including
nonprofits, schools (both public and private), Parent Teacher
Associations, etc.
-
70
to 90 percent for infrastructure projects and 10 to 30 percent for
noninfrastructure projects (see examples below); efforts in both
areas must be demonstrated
-
Primary beneficiaries must be K-8 students
-
Infrastructure projects must be within two miles of a school and on
public property or private land with legal public-access easements
-
Competitive grant program administered by Iowa DOT
-
Award recipients must comply with stringent federal and state funding
requirements
|
|
Infrastructure
grant uses and application form
Infrastructure projects
must reduce speeds and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and access.
Examples may include:
-
Sidewalk improvements: new
sidewalks, sidewalk widening, sidewalk gap closures, sidewalk repairs,
curbs, gutters, and curb ramps;
-
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;
-
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;
-
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;
-
Off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities:
exclusive, multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trails and pathways that are
separated from a roadway;
-
Secure bicycle parking facilities:
bicycle parking racks, bicycle lockers, designated areas with safety
lighting, and covered bicycle shelters; or
-
Traffic diversion improvements:
separation of pedestrians and bicycles from vehicular traffic adjacent to
schools, and traffic diversion away from school zones or designated routes
to a school.
Planning, design and engineering expenses, including consultant services,
associated with developing eligible infrastructure projects are also
eligible to receive infrastructure funds.
|
|
SAFETEA-LU specifies that eligible
noninfrastructure projects are
activities that encourage walking and bicycling to school, including:
public awareness campaigns and outreach to press and community leaders;
traffic education and enforcement in the vicinity of schools;
student sessions on bicycle and pedestrian safety, health and the
environment; and
funding for training,
volunteers and managers of SRTS programs.
Uses may
include: |
 |
-
creation and reproduction of
promotional and educational materials;
-
costs to
develop a SRTS study or plan;
-
bicycle
and pedestrian safety curricula, materials and trainers;
-
training, including SRTS
training workshops that target school- and community-level audiences;
-
modest incentives for SRTS
contests and incentives that encourage more walking and bicycling over
time;
-
safety and educational tokens
that also advertise the program;
-
photocopying, duplicating and
printing costs, including CDs, DVDs, etc., and also mailing costs;
-
costs for data gathering,
analysis, and evaluation reporting at the local project level;
-
substitute teacher pay, if
needed, to cover for faculty attending SRTS functions during school hours;
-
costs for additional law
enforcement or equipment needed for enforcement activities;
-
equipment and training needed
for establishing
crossing guard programs;
-
stipends for parent or staff
coordinators; (typically to reimburse volunteers for materials and
expenses needed for coordination and efforts; “Super-volunteer” pay is
possible in rare cases.);
-
costs to employ a SRTS program
manager, which is a person that runs a SRTS program for an entire city,
county or some other area-wide division that includes numerous schools; or
-
consultant costs (either
nonprofit or for-profit) to manage a SRTS program, as described in
previous bullet.
|
|
No-Cost or Low-Cost SRTS
Projects
|
1 |
|
Register for "Go The Distance"
- a free 100-day challenge designed to
encourage young Iowans to increase their physical
activity levels and make better food
choices.
|
|
2 |
|
Conduct a survey/needs assessment of students and parents about
walking to school -
Analyze information on students’ and parents’ views towards
walking and biking to school, include questions about obstacles
to walking or biking to school.
|
|
3 |
|
Run a “Keep Kids Alive Drive 25” campaign
–
Educate and encourage citizens to drive at the residential speed
limit to make a safer walking environment for students going to
school.
|
|
4 |
|
Create frequent walker cards or frequent rider miles
–
Create a reward program similar to food and retail store
discount cards. The cards are punched every time a student
travels by foot or accumulates a certain number of miles by
bike.
|
|
5 |
|
Paint new high visibility crosswalks
– Work with your
municipal engineer and public works department to improve safety
and emphasize the recommended path for crossing at an
intersection.
|
|
6 |
|
Develop a Neighborhood Watch/Safe Haven program
–
Have residents volunteer their homes as “safehouses” where
children can go if they feel they are threatened or endangered
on their way to and from school.
|
|
7 |
|
Create a
Safety Alert Notice -
Initiate a program where if a parent is double parked or parked
at a crosswalk, they will be handed a safety alert ticket by the
principal or safety patrol.
|
|
8 |
|
Designate weekly Walk ‘n’ Wheel Wednesdays
-
Create a weekly event that encourages kids to walk and bike to
school through rewards and outreach.
|
|
9 |
|
Give
Rewards to Students Who Always Wear a Bicycle Helmet
-
Provide incentive for students to wear helmets by giving good
rider prizes and coupons.
|
|
10 |
|
Pledge to be a PACE Car and Always Drive 25
–
Drivers of PACE cars pledge to drive within the speed limit and
stop for pedestrians. PACE cars become traffic calming devices.
Create PACE car pledges for parents to sign.
|
|
11 |
|
Hold a Bicycle Rodeo
-
Host a community event where cycling instructors teach safety
and riding skills through obstacle course simulations.
|
|
12 |
|
Hold a Walk-a-Thon to Raise Money and Awareness
-
Encourage people to walk, expand awareness for SRTS and raise
money for SRTS future programs and physical pedestrian/bicycle
improvements.
|
|
13 |
|
Present a Golden Sneaker Award to the class that walks the most
-
Award a spray-painted sneaker to the class who walks the most
cumulative miles/trips.
|
|
14 |
|
Hold a Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Quiz Show
-
Have students play a game modeled after Jeopardy to learn
bicycle and pedestrian safety. Construction paper, point
values, questions and a bulletin board are helpful to display
the game.
|
|
15 |
|
Create No Idling Zones around the school -
Children’s asthma symptoms increase as a result of
car exhaust. Idling produces twice as much pollution as stopping
and restarting a warmed-up engine. A single vehicle dropping off
and picking up kids at one school puts about three pounds of
pollution into the air per month.
|
|
16 |
|
Designate a location for park and walk to school
-
Drop off students at a designated location and walk the rest of
the way to school under the supervision of an adult volunteer.
This is a good way to involve students who live far from the
school and must ride the bus.
|
|
17 |
|
Conduct Walkability/Bikeability Assessments around your school
-
Evaluate and identify school routes that are in need of
improvements by gathering volunteers to walk designated routes
with a walkability/bikeability checklist.
|
|
18 |
|
Paint
In-Roadway Bicycle Markings
-
Work with your municipal engineer to create bike lanes that
connect schools, parks, residential and commercial areas.
|
|
19 |
|
Walk a
Morning Mile at School
- In areas where it is unsafe or difficult to walk to school,
school staff can start a walking program on-campus before,
during or after school. An example is the “Morning Mile”,
where students walk a mile around the school grounds before
class begins. This is a good way to involve students who
live far from the school and must ride the bus.
|
|
20 |
|
Conduct
a Class Walking Field Trip
-
Take students on a field trip by walking to a local library,
post office, or City Hall. Include math skills by having
students count their steps or calculate how far they walked.
|
|
21 |
|
Walk Across the U.S. or World
- Have students travel around the country according to how many
miles a class collectively walks and bikes to school through a
web-based interactive game. Or, follow the journals of Gary
Hause, a man walking around the world.
http://www.walkingman.org/
|
|
22 |
|
Celebrate
Crazy Hat Day or Signage Parade
- Decorate helmets, hats and signs to create a parade on the
walk to school.
|
|
23 |
|
Hold a Crossing Guard Appreciation Day
- Designate a day in appreciation of the work that crossing
guards do to keep students safe when crossing busy streets.
Encourage students to make thank you notes for their crossing
guard.
|
|
24 |
|
Review
Sidewalk, Building, & Property Maintenance Laws
-
Designate a small committee to review municipal laws and codes
to ensure sidewalks and trails are built within new
developments. Make sure sidewalks are maintained, especially
during snowy months.
|
|
25 |
|
Create a Walking School Bus
-
Design a walking route to school, supervised by an adult, with
stops and a schedule like a school bus.
|
|
26 |
|
Have
students keep Walking Journals -
Create a classroom story about walking to school. Students jot
down what they see on their walk to school and can even create a
photo log of what they like and do not like along their route to
school.
|
|
27 |
|
Hold a
Walk to School Scavenger Hunt -
Create a walking game where students spot objects on their walk
to school, based on a classroom assignment. For example, have
students make note of the different types of traffic signs on
the walk to school.
|
|
28 |
|
Celebrate “Stay Bright When Walking at Night”
-
Encourage students to walk in bright, reflective colors and
teach them the importance of pedestrian safety.
|
|
29 |
|
Walk to School Poster Contest
-
Hold an art contest. Design a
banner or poster to be hung in town or school to promote walking and safety.
|
Who to
contact
Resources
Forms
|
|
|
|
|