AASHTO Journal - Oregon DOT Accepting Safe Routes to School Grant Applications

The Oregon Department of Transportation will begin accepting Safe-Routes-to-School grant applications for 2020 on June 1.

[Above photo by the Oregon DOT.]

The agency said in a statement that it is accepting “Letters of Intent” for two Safe-Routes-to School-programs – Competitive Construction, which will award a total of $26 million worth of grants, and Project Identification – starting on June 15, with completed applications for both due by August 31.

Meanwhile, applications for a third grant program – the Rapid Response Infrastructure program – will also be accepted but there is no deadline for submissions.

Grants from all three grant programs will be awarded in December, the Oregon DOT noted.

The agency added that that its Project Identification program helps school communities identify construction projects and educational programs that address barriers to students walking and biking to school in a newly-created local plan.

By contrast, the Competitive Construction program focuses on making sure safe walking and biking routes exist by investing in crossings, sidewalks and bike lanes, flashing beacons and other related construction efforts.

Finally, the Rapid Response Infrastructure program funds projects that are eligible for the Competitive Construction program but cannot wait for the next grant cycle.