ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation today announced the recipients of $768,000 in federal funding for Safe Routes to School. The grants will support Safe Routes to School plans at 70 schools in 35 communities and implementation grants at 22 schools in nine communities.
“These projects will help communities increase opportunities for kids to walk and bike to school,” said MnDOT Commissioner Tom Sorel. “More kids walking and biking means less traffic on the road and in front of schools, improving safety and promoting healthier kids.”
Schools received grants in two categories:
· Planning assistance – Funding to complete a Safe Routes to School plan to help analyze existing conditions, gather public input and identify potential infrastructure and non-infrastructure solutions at K-8 schools.
· Implementation grants – Funding for education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation activities.
MnDOT announced the available grants in March and received 27 applications for planning assistance and 11 applications for implementation grants.
All Safe Routes to School grants use federal funds, and no local match is required. Each grant includes a resolution of support from the local governing body to ensure community support. Grants for infrastructure projects, such as sidewalks and crosswalks, were not available this year.
Since 2005, MnDOT has awarded $11.3 million in federal funds to communities to support Safe Routes to School. The majority of funding—$9.9 million—was awarded for infrastructure projects. The remainder is allocated for non-infrastructure items and activities. Funding for Safe Routes to School is available in all 50 states.
The list of grant recipients is below. More information on Safe Routes to School is available at www.mndot.gov/saferoutes.
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Safe Routes to School 2012 grants
Planning Assistance
- Anoka, Andover and Coon Rapids, Anoka County – 4 schools
- Appleton and Milan, Swift and Chippewa counties – 1 school
- Bagley, Clearwater County – 2 schools
- Barnesville, Clay County – 2 schools
- Battle Lake, Otter Tail County – 1 school
- Benson, Swift County – 2 schools
- Brooklyn Center, Hennepin County – 6 schools
- Cloquet, Carlton County – 2 schools
- Cohasset and Grand Rapids, Itasca County – 5 schools
- Columbia Heights, Hilltop and Fridley, Anoka County – 4 schools
- Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park and Woodbury, Washington County – 6 schools
- Dawson, Lac qui Parle County – 1 school
- Glencoe, McLeod County – 2 schools
- Granite Falls, Yellow Medicine and Chippewa counties – 2 schools
- Lakefield, Jackson County – 1 school
- Madison, Lac qui Parle County – 1 school
- Mankato, Blue Earth County – 6 schools
- New London, Kandiyohi County – 2 schools
- Perham, Otter Tail County – 4 schools
- Princeton, Mille Lacs County – 3 schools
- Red Wing, Goodhue County – 2 schools
- Saint Cloud, Stearns County – 1 school
- Staples, Todd and Wadena counties – 2 schools
- Two Harbors, Lake County – 2 schools
- Waconia, Carver County – 3 schools
- Willmar, Kandiyohi County – 3 schools
Implementation Grants
- Alexandria School District, Douglas County – $16,000 to create walking and bicycling maps, create an active transportation section of the Alexandria School District website, purchase materials for Walking Wednesdays and walking school bus activities and purchase supplies for crossing guard program.
- Canby School District, Yellow Medicine County – $20,000 to support a local Safe Routes to School coordinator for two years to implement encouragement, education and evaluation activities.
- Cook County Schools, Cook County – $27,000 to establish biking and walking as safe, fun norms for Cook County students through education and encouragement activities. A Safe Routes to School coordinator will establish a sustainable walking school bus program. A walking school bus is a supervised group of students who walk to school and pick up additional students along the route. The coordinator will also assist two school districts in standardizing classroom bicycle and pedestrian education, expand the audience of the bicycle safety rodeo, and implement an innovative tracking system to encourage biking and walking to school.
- Detroit Lakes Public Schools, Becker County – $5,000 to support an education and public awareness campaign including international Walk to School Day and Bike Walk to School week.
- East Grand Forks Public Schools, Polk County – $20,000 to support a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle education, enforcement and encouragement program in the East Grand Forks elementary and middle schools.
- McGregor School District #4, Aitkin County – $10,000 to encourage students and parents to walk and bike to school and after school events in McGregor using Fire Up Your Feet, Walk to School Day and bike rodeos as well as implement a crossing guard program.
- Minneapolis Public Schools – $60,000 to increase access to bicycles, maintenance classes and safety education delivered through physical education and after-school programs at six schools, and implement crossing guards at Lucy Laney school in north Minneapolis.
- Moose Lake Schools – $10,000 to combine activities around education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation to implement the Safe Routes to School plan including bike rodeos, Fire Up Your Feet, crossing guard training and walking and bicycling brochures.
