Indiana Safe Routes to School Program
What's New?
What is the Safe Routes to School Program?
The Indiana Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program is based on the federal program designed to make walking and bicycling to school safe and routine. Walking and bicycling are viable transportation alternatives for travel to and from school with significant potential benefits, among them reductions in motor vehicle traffic, associated fuel consumption for school trips and improved air quality.
When SAFETE-LU was signed into law in 2005, the evidence was clear that disturbing weight gains among American children and a growing nationwide obesity epidemic threatened our health. Bicycling and walking to school helps establish a healthy, active lifestyle from an early age. Generally, increased physical activity among school-aged children contributes to their improved personal health. However, towns with established SRTS programs also report a stronger sense of community identity and increased social skills among school-aged children.
INDOT is responsible for administering the Indiana SRTS Program that makes federal funding available for eligible activities and improvements. INDOT will use an application process to evaluate candidate projects. An SRTS Advisory Committee will review applications and make recommendations to fund infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.
Indiana Safe Routes To School Links
Indiana
- Indiana Safe Routes To School (SRTS) Program Parameters
- How is SRTS funding administered and what limitations exist?
- What kinds of construction improvements are possible under the SRTS Program?
- What kinds of non-construction projects are eligible under SRTS?
- Suggestions to Prepare for Your Safe Routes to School Program
- Classification and Differences in Project Implementation
- 2008 Letter to Indiana Schools and Local Officials
- 2008 Letter to School, Health and Local Officials for Special Application Call
- 2007 Indiana Safe Routes to School Brochure
- Bicycle Safety Activity Kit (English)
- Bicycle Safety Activity Kit (Spanish)
- Federal Highway Administration SRTS web site
- Federal program guidance
- National Center for Safe Routes to School
- National Safe Routes to School Guide
- "Why Safe Routes Matters" high resolution download ( For presentation purposes - 128 megabytes)
- Safe Routes to School Bicycle Parking Guide
- Residents Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities (August 2008)
Parent and Student Surveys
For evaluation purposes all schools awarded funding for Safe Routes to School activities and projects are required to conduct parent and student surveys. These surveys collect base information about how children travel to and from school and measure the parent's attitudes about student travel. The surveys help generate interest and participation in the Safe Routes program while yielding useful information for schools. Following implementation of both infrastructure projects and non-infrastructure activities, the surveys must be repeated to measure changes in the number of children walking, bicycling and using other modes of transportation, and to examine any changes in parent’s attitudes toward these activities. Ideally, surveys will be administered during September or May when weather conditions are most favorable for bicycling and walking to school. October and April are also reasonably good months to collect information on how children travel to school.
In November and December of 2007 the National Center for Safe Routes to School published new survey forms and instructions to replace those previously used nationwide. Major improvements include fewer days to count student travel patterns and a shorter parent survey form. The new survey forms will simplify data reporting requirements for applicants, who can input the survey data into the National Center for Safe Routes to School’s system and use the system to generate summary reports for their applications. Schools that have recently completed parent or student surveys are not required to repeat those surveys simply because of the new forms, however all future surveys must use the new forms
Revised parent surveys and a revised student tally form to be completed by teachers in all classrooms of each target school are available here for download. An overview of the survey procedures and more detailed instructions are also available.
- SRTS Parent Survey Form 11-07
- SRTS Parent Survey Form in Spanish 2-08
- SRTS Student Tally Sheet 11-07
- SRTS Data Collection Overview 11-07
- Instructions for Student Tally & Parent Surveys 11-07
For the first time the National Center for Safe Routes to School is offering a means to report the data so that the information can be more easily submitted, later recovered and summarized at the local, state and national level. Links to data entry instructions and cover sheets to accompany survey forms being sent to the National Center for tabulation are provided below.
Special Call For Non-Infrastructure Applications
Federal law requires that at a minimum 10% of all SRTS funding be used for non-infrastructure activities. Over the three years of the program’s existence we have seen a decline in the number of quality applications for non-infrastructure activities, such as education and training, marketing, promotion, enforcement, planning, evaluation and eligible equipment purchases (i.e. low-cost incentive articles for walking or biking, bicycle helmets, crossing guard attire and portable in-road pedestrian crossing signs). For that reason and to encourage more effective local planning, INDOT has set aside a portion of the available funding exclusively for these kinds of activities. A special call for non-infrastructure applications will begin October 1, 2008 and end November 28, 2008. No construction (infrastructure) applications will be considered. You MUST use the form titled “Special 2008 SRTS Non-Infrastructure Application”. Student and parent survey forms must be completed and relevant data must be submitted to the National center for Safe Routes to School UNLESS applicants can clearly document that surveys were completed for the regular 2008 application cycle in April and May of this year.
School officials, local transportation officials, health care and law enforcement officials, bicycle and pedestrian advocates and metropolitan planning organizations are encouraged to work together with parents to develop quality non-infrastructure proposals. What encouragement techniques and promotion materials will get more children bicycling or walking to school? What pedestrian and bicycle skills training do our children need? What about training and equipment for crossing guards? Where can enforcement of school zone speeds be more effective? Which routes are best suited for walking or biking to school? How can we reach parents to help create effective local Safe Routes programs? Non-infrastructure activities are intended to answer these questions.
Approved SRTS education, enforcement, evaluation and encouragement activities costing up to $75,000 may be 100% reimbursable. To find out more about the Indiana Safe Routes to School Program, click on the links found on this webpage.
Indiana Safe Routes To School Applications
This year it is mandatory that student tally surveys and parent surveys be completed for each school applying for Safe Routes funding prior to submitting a 2008 application. Please complete and use the SRTS Data Entry Forms provided under the Parent and Student Surveys and submit surveys to the National Center for Safe Routes to School. The National Center can verify if data or survey materials were properly submitted.
Remember, a copy of each application must be provided to the appropriate INDOT district office for their use. Read the application guide carefully and please take note of the various changes listed on page two of the guide.
- 2008 Indiana Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Application (Microsoft Word Form)
- 2008 Indiana Safe Routes to School Non-Infrastructure Application (Microsoft Word Form)
- Special 2008 SRTS Non-Infrastructure Application
- 2008 Safe Routes to School Application Guide
- Suggested Unit Costs for SRTS Infrastructure Projects – 2008 Update
(Please use these figures in developing your cost estimates for infrastructure improvements you are proposing for 2008 SRTS funding. Consider these as starting points. Project-specific factors should be applied when available to more accurately project costs and to reflect the true nature of the project under consideration.) - 2007 MPO List
Indiana Safe Routes To School Program 2008 Awards
INDOT Announces Safe Routes To School Awards (October 2008)
*Images provided by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) unless otherwise noted.
