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i • Minnesota Safe Routes to School Grant SMo o { Application Introduction and Program Basics -2006 sc . Welcome! The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, created by the Federal Surface Transportation Act, establishes a grant program providing communities with the opportunity to improve conditions for bicycling and walking to school. The goals of the program are threefold: (1)to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities,to walk and bicycle to school; (2)to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative,thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age;and (3)to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of schools. At present, fewer than 15% of children in grades K-8 walk or bike to school and nearly 50% of school aged children are regularly driven to school by their parents. Coinciding with the declining numbers of children walking and biking to school is an increase in childhood obesity and Type 11 diabetes. • Using a multidisciplinary approach the Safe Routes program, works with schools, students, and parents at a grass roots level to identify improvements that will make biking and walking to and from school a routine part of Minnesota's students'experience_ Application Timeline May 1, 2006: Application available July 6, 2006 Application period closes. All applications must be received by 4:30 PM CDT By September 2006 Grants recipients notified By October 2006 Official announcement and kickoff coinciding with International Walk to School Week Funding and Project Eligibility From 2005-2009 Minnesota is expected to receive $8 million in Safe Routes to School funding. In the first solicitation a minimum of$1.45 million will be awarded for infrastructure projects and $250,000 for non-infrastructure projects. For any one project the application ranges are: • $10,000—$175,000 for infrastructure projects • $5,000—$10,000 for non-infrastructure projects. Under the Federal guidance for SRTS, participants are advised that the funding is to supplement, not replace, existing funding sources. Additionally, states are directed to maximize the available funding. The selection process will be focused on a project's ability to meet SRTS program goals and the potential to develop long term cycling and walking behaviors. The state will attempt to • fund as many qualified projects as possible from the available resources. Minnesota Safe Routes to School 3 2006 Grant Application