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Indiana Safe Routes To School (SRTS) Program Parameters

Safe Routes to School Basic Program Parameters

  • 70-90 percent of funds will be available for eligible infrastructure projects.
  • 10-30 percent of funds will be available for encouragement, education, enforcement and other non-infrastructure activities to increase safe biking and walking to school.
  • Children in kindergarten through 8th grade are the primary target for this program.
  • Projects should help improve access for children with physical disabilities.
  • Older children, adults, residents, children traveling to school by bus and motorists may be considered secondary beneficiaries.
  • Trips for non-school purposes are only secondary considerations.
  • Construction improvements must be located within a two mile radius of the intended school or schools.
  • Program is available for private and public schools.
  • Eligible applicants include individual schools, school districts, local government agencies, state agencies and MPOs.
  • Non-profit organizations can partner with eligible applicants, but cannot directly receive SRTS project funding in Indiana.
  • Project sponsorship by traditional transportation partners is highly encouraged.

Safe Routes to School Fund Administration

  • Non-infrastructure activities will be limited to a cost of $75,000.
  • Infrastructure projects will be limited to a cost of $250,000.
  • Funding will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis, not as a cash grant.
  • No local or state match is required.
  • In accordance with FHWA guidance, the grant selection committee cannot consider voluntary local expenditure for the purpose of scoring or selecting grant applications.
  • Demonstrate local commitment to SRTS projects through supporting policies, ordinances and deliberate actions that extend, supplement and increase the effectiveness of the SRTS activity or project.
  • SRTS funds cannot be transferred out of the program and funds remain available until expended.
  • Basic rules regarding procedures for using federal transportation funds still apply.
  • Infrastructure projects will require endorsement by the local government responsible for the land on which the improvement would be located.
  • Projects in urban areas over 50,000 in population will require endorsement and programming by the responsible Metropolitan Planning Organization.
  • SRTS activities and projects must be programmed in the statewide transportation improvement program to receive federal funds.

Eligible Infrastructure Improvements

School crossing guardThe following is a list of typical improvements for improving and increasing bicycle and pedestrian travel to and from schools. All the parameters listed above apply. Infrastructure projects typically involve construction or installation. All federally-funded construction projects must comply with the terms of the "Americans with Disabilities Act". Please note this is not a comprehensive list of infrastructure projects.

  • Construction or installation of sidewalks.
  • Construction or installation of crosswalks.
  • Construction, striping or designation of on-street bicycle facilities.
  • Construction of multi-use paths, including road crossings.
  • Purchase and installation of secure bicycle parking facilities and racks.
  • Installation of traffic calming and speed reduction improvements.
  • Manufacture and installation of signs alerting motorists to schools and bicycle or pedestrian school traffic.
  • Application or installation of pavement markings to improve recognition of walking and bicycling facilities directly serving schools.
  • Purchase and installation of flashing devices serving pedestrian and/or bicycle traffic directly in route to schools.
  • Infrastructure projects will fall under Class 1 or Class 2 depending on project complexity.

Eligible Non-infrastructure Improvements

Bike TrainThe following is a list of typical improvements for improving and increasing bicycle and pedestrian travel to and from schools. All the parameters listed above apply. Encouragement, education and enforcement or bicycle and pedestrian planning for specific schools are considered non-infrastructure activities. Please note this is not a comprehensive list of non-infrastructure activities.

  • Creation of “walking school buses” of school children.
  • School crossing guard training & equipment.
  • School incentive and encouragement programs.
  • Development and presentation of bicycle rodeos.
  • Creation of bicycle trains for older elementary children.
  • Relevant training for teachers, school administrators, local officials, school children and parents.
  • Speed enforcement activities.
  • Professional safety evaluation to determine suitable improvements to increase walking and bicycling to school.
  • Non-infrastructure activities will be considered Class 3 projects.

Suggestions to Prepare for Your Safe Routes to School Program

There are several things that potential applicants can do to prepare for making application to the Indiana Safe Routes to School Program. Fundamental information will position school districts and communities to effectively plan for increased walking and bicycling to school and reductions in other modes of travel. Other ideas may be added later.

  • To establish a base for measuring improvement, prepare accurate average daily counts of the children currently walking to school. It is recommended that counting occur during a typical week in September or May when weather is not a significant factor.
  • Also to help measure improvement, accurately determine the average daily number of children presently bicycling to school. Again, to eliminate the influence of weather, counts should occur during one week in September or May.
  • Evaluate transportation routes in the vicinity of schools featuring kindergarten through eighth grade to determine which routes children would most likely use to bicycle and walk to school.
  • Determine the individual school policies concerning walking and bicycling to school. Schools that discourage or prohibit walking or biking to school are not candidates for Safe Routes to School funding.
  • Be prepared to promote bicycling and walking as part of helping children to become more physical active. Schools should anticipate teaming with parents to establish a successful program.

Classifications and Differences in Implementation

Updated Feb. 2007

INDOT is classifying SRTS activities and projects to help separate and define the level of effort required for implementation. Local public agencies may select their own design consultants. Depending on the complexity of proposed improvements or activities, the three classes of projects will require varying levels of design and construction inspection. Environmental reviews will differ according to the project class as well. Project administration questions can often be answered by simply determining the project class. Federal laws and regulations relative to public grant administration shall apply for all classes.

Questions about the different project classes resulted in modifications to the class descriptions that are intended to clarify the differences and usually reflect considerations that were not part of the original class definitions. Four factors define the class: cost, implementation responsibility, land acquisition and environmental documentation.

Class 1

  • Infrastructure projects exceeding $100,000 will be considered Class 1 projects.
  • Relatively complex infrastructure projects requiring formal design and construction inspection to meet INDOT standards and specifications. A registered professional engineer must stamp the plans for these projects.
  • A basic level of environmental review is necessary, probably qualifying for environmental documentation as a “Categorical Exclusion”. Some coordination with environmental resource agencies is likely for appropriate permits.
  • Construction contractors must be selected through a bid process that meets INDOT and federal requirements.
  • Regardless of cost, any project requiring a construction contract letting must be let by INDOT and will be considered a Class 1 project.

Class 2

  • Class 2 projects cannot exceed $100,000 in total cost.
  • Relatively less complicated infrastructure projects qualify as Class 2 projects. These projects also require that design engineering and construction inspections meet the accepted INDOT standards and specifications. Local communities may find that inter-local agreements offer a way to obtain necessary expertise for these services.
  • Only projects that can qualify for environmental documentation as a “Programmatic Categorical Exclusion” and require less than 0.5 acre, only temporary right-of-way or no land acquisition can be considered Class 2 projects.
  • Any construction or installation will be performed by the local public agency with jurisdiction over the project area. These are “force account” projects, where no bidding is necessary and the local agency provides the labor and materials. In some cases a subcontractor may perform up to 50% of the work.

Class 3

  • Class 3 activities cannot exceed $75,000.
  • Only non-infrastructure activities involving no construction qualify as Class 3 activities under Indiana’s SRTS Program.
  • Education, enforcement, encouragement and evaluation activities do not need an environmental review.
  • If a contract is required, it will be administered by the grant applicant and/or the local public agency with jurisdiction over the location of the activity.

*Images provided by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) unless otherwise noted.