Commissioner McDonald Announces Safe Routes to School Funding

ALBANY, NY (05/10/2012)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald today announced that applications are available for $23.9 million in federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) funding for infrastructure improvements and public education campaigns across the State to encourage elementary and middle school children to safely walk and bike to school. Commissioner McDonald made the announcement during National Bike to School Week, which runs from May 7 to 11.

"Providing crosswalks, bike paths, sidewalks and other types of safe accommodations near schools, along with programs to teach pedestrian and bicycle safety, will promote healthy modes of transportation by making it safer for children to walk or bike to school," Commissioner McDonald said. "This federal funding provides a way for us to invest in our communities and create more sustainable infrastructure that is in harmony with the needs of local families and schools."

Eligible projects must be located within two miles of a primary or middle school, be located on municipal right-of-way, benefit the public interest and address at least one of the five SRTS categories. Categories include engineering (infrastructure) efforts, as well as education, enforcement, encouragement and evaluation of program impact (non-infrastructure) efforts.

The intent of Safe Routes to School is to enable and encourage children to walk or bicycle to school; help children adopt a more healthy and active lifestyle by making bicycling and walking a safer and more appealing transportation alternative; and facilitate the planning, development and implementation of transportation projects that will improve safety while reducing traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

Federal funding was made available to NYSDOT, which administers the SRTS program and will reimburse 100 percent of eligible project costs for successful applicants.

Between 70 and 90 percent of funding will be used on targeted infrastructure improvements located within a two-mile radius of an elementary or middle school. This could include installation of traffic signals or crosswalks, construction or rehabilitation of sidewalks and traffic mitigation measures.

The remaining 10 to 30 percent of funding will be provided to local municipalities, school districts, police agencies and non-profit organizations for non-infrastructure public-education and public-outreach projects. This may include conducting police enforcement operations and developing education programs for parents and children on the benefits of walking or bicycling to school.

Applications for the Safe Routes to School program will be accepted through October 5, 2012. Project awards will be announced by the end of the year.

NYSDOT will conduct regional information workshops about the Safe Routes to School program and will make program applications and guidebooks available to communities within the state.

In conjunction with some of the workshops, NYSDOT and the Federal Highway Administration-New York Division (FHWA) are jointly providing training about the federal aid process. The training will teach sponsors about the steps, activities, approvals and other requirements needed to ensure that federally-funded projects are developed, designed and constructed in accordance with federal requirements. This Federal Aid 101 training will be offered at four locations across the state.

Information about this training and additional workshops are available on the NYSDOT Safe Routes to School website at https://www.dot.ny.gov/safe-routes-to-school.

The following is a list of workshop locations and times.

Capital District

WHEN: Wednesday, May 23, registration at 8:30 a.m., workshop from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: NYSDOT Training & Conference Center, 328 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305

*Part of Federal Aid 101 training (SRTS overview from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.)

Mohawk Valley

WHEN: Monday, June 4, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Herkimer BOCES – Leatherstocking A&B, 352 Gros Blvd, Herkimer, NY 13350

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES, 2755 State Highway 67, Johnstown, NY 12095

WHEN: Monday, June 11, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Madison-Oneida BOCES – Costello Transportation Center, 4937 Spring Road, Verona, NY 13478

WHEN: Thursday, June 14, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES – Herkimer Room, 4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, NY 13413

*Please use front parking lot and enter in Entrance A

Central NY

WHEN: Wednesday, June 6, 1 p.m.

WHERE: Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation Center, 7413 County House Road, Auburn, NY 13021

WHEN: Friday, June 8, 10 a.m.

WHERE: Rosamond Gifford Zoo, One Conservation Place, Syracuse, NY 13204

Finger Lakes

WHEN: Thursday, June 7, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Hurley Building (Canandaigua Dept. of Public Works), 205 Saltonstall Street, Canandaigua, NY

WHEN: Tuesday, June 12, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: City of Batavia, City Council Board Room, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, NY 14020

WHEN: Thursday, June 14, registration at 9 a.m., workshop from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Rochester Library, Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14614

*Part of Federal Aid 101 training (SRTS overview from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.)

Western NY

WHEN: Thursday, June 7, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

WHERE: Town of Hamburg, The Lodge at the Woodlawn Beach State Park, S-3580 Lakeshore Road, Blasdell, NY 14219

North Country

WHEN: Wednesday, May 30, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Plattsburgh City Hall, 1st Floor Conference Room, 41 City Hall Place, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

WHEN: Thursday, May 31, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Potsdam Civic Center, Community Room, 38 Main Street, Potsdam, NY 13676

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Watertown Dulles State Office Building, 1st Floor Conference Room, 317 Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601

Hudson Valley

WHEN: Monday, June 4, registration at 9 a.m., workshop from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Westchester County Center, 198 Central Ave, White Plains NY 10606

*Part of Federal Aid 101 training (SRTS overview from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.)

WHEN: Thursday, June 7, 10 a.m. to noon

WHERE: Rockland County Planning, Building T Conference Room, 50 Sanatorium Road, Pomona, NY 10970

WHEN: Friday, June 8, 10 a.m. to noon

WHERE: SUNY Ulster, St. John Conference Room, 491 Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge, NY 12484

WHEN: Friday, June 15, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: Dutchess County Planning, 27 High Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Southern Tier

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5, 10 a.m. to noon and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Hornell State Office Building, Room 165, 107 Broadway, Hornell, NY 14843

WHEN: Thursday, June 7, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Elmira Chamber of Commerce Building, basement, 400 E. Church Street, Elmira, NY 14901

WHEN: Wednesday, June 20, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: State Office Building, 18th floor, 44 Hawley Street, Binghamton, NY 13905

Long Island

WHEN: Thursday, May 31, registration at 8:30 a.m., workshop from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: Suffolk County H. Lee Dennison Building, 100 Veterans Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788

* Part of Federal Aid 101 training (SRTS overview from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.)

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