$21.1 million Awarded for the Safe Routes to School Program

July 15, 2024

The Murphy Administration announced $21.1 million for 23 grants under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program on July 10, 2024.

The New Jersey Safe Routes to School Program, supported by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, is a statewide initiative with a mission to partner with schools and communities to prioritize and implement opportunities for people to walk, bike, or travel by other wheeled devices. By focusing on improvements to support active travel by youth, they believe they can create conditions that are safe, healthy, equitable, and appealing for all. Safe Routes for All provides safe and equitable access to active transportation for people of all ages and abilities from all backgrounds and neighborhoods in New Jersey. It is an initiative of the Voorhees Transportation Center.

“The Murphy Administration is committed to improving safety by providing resources to improve sidewalks and bike paths near schools,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “The Safe Routes to School program encourages children to stay active by walking and biking to school, and is a great example of how NJDOT, working with the state’s three regional planning authorities, helps utilize federal funding to support communities through local transportation projects.” Infrastructure improvement projects to be funded through this program include sidewalk improvements; pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements; and on street bicycle facilities. The SRTS is a federally-funded program to increase pedestrian safety among motorists and schoolchildren. The program is administered by the NJDOT in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO).

The program was created to encourage children to walk and bike to school. The goal is to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age.  Projects are designed to improve safety, as well as reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution near schools. Of the 21 grants being awarded to local governments to make pedestrian safety improvements near K-12 schools, 16 grants totaling $14.0 million are within the NJTPA region, which includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties. Four grants totaling $5 million are within the DVRPC region, which includes Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey and five counties in Pennsylvania. The final three grants totaling $2.1 million are within the SJTPO region, which includes Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties.

Infrastructure improvement projects to be funded through this program include sidewalk improvements; pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements; and on-street bicycle facilities. Special consideration was given to applications that addressed equity by providing benefits to underserved communities, low-income residents, minorities, those with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, children, and older adults.

Read the Original Press Release

List of FY 2024 Safe Routes to School Grants

Recent Posts

Bhuyan Receives Leadership Excellence Award

  Soumitra Bhuyan, Executive Director of Health Administration Programs and Associate Professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, is the recipient of a National Leadership Excellence Award. Jointly...

Heldrich Survey: Inflation, Job Security Concern Workers

Half of U.S. Workers are Not Confident in the Federal Government’s Ability to Boost the Economy Deep concerns about inflation and the labor market are widespread throughout the country as Republicans take control of the White House and Congress — even amid low...

Bhuyan and Samuel Explore Generative AI Use in Healthcare

Generative Artificial Intelligence Use in Healthcare: Opportunities for Clinical Excellence and Administrative Efficiency Abstract Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) has transformative potential in healthcare to enhance patient care, personalize treatment...

NJSPL Report: Higher Education in New Jersey – A Policy Review

By Angie Nga Le, Stuart Shapiro, and Elizabeth Cooner New Jersey’s state higher education plan, “Where Opportunity Meets Innovation – A Student-Centered Vision for New Jersey Higher Education” (the Plan), was introduced in 2019. It envisions an ecosystem where every...

Healthcare, Policy, and the Opioid Crisis: Bridging Gaps in Access

Healthcare, Policy, and the Opioid Crisis: Bridging Gaps in Access with Zoe Lindenfeld This week on EJB Talks, new Bloustein School Assistant Professor Zoe Lindenfeld talks to Dean Stuart Shapiro about her research on substance use disorders, particularly the opioid...

Upcoming Events

Event Series CAREERS

Virtual Career Drop-ins

Virtual

Stop by virtually on Mondays (except for holidays) beginning February 3 through April 28 between 11 am and 1 pm to ask a quick (15 min) career-related question of Bloustein […]