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 (NJDOT), is a statewide initiative partnering with schools and communities to prioritize and implement opportunities for walking, biking, or traveling by other wheeled devices. By focusing on improvements to support active travel by youth, they aim to create conditions that are safe, healthy, equitable, and appealing for all. The program 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 funded through this program include sidewalk improvements; pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements; and on-street bicycle facilities. The SRTS is a federally-funded program aimed at increasing pedestrian safety among motorists and schoolchildren. It is administered by 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 with goals of making bicycling and walking safer and more appealing transportation alternatives while promoting a healthy lifestyle from an early age. Projects are designed not only to improve safety but also reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and air pollution near schools.
Of the 23 grants awarded for pedestrian safety improvements near K-12 schools:
- 16 grants totaling $14 million are within the NJTPA region covering 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 covering Burlington, Camden, Gloucester counties in New Jersey as well as Mercer county in Pennsylvania.
- Three grants totaling $2.1 million are within the SJTPO region covering Atlantic Cape May Cumberland Salem counties.
Special consideration was given to applications addressing equity by benefiting underserved communities including low-income residents minorities those with limited English proficiency persons with disabilities children older adults.
