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.
