MnDOT offers $8 million in grants to schools, communities to develop Safe Routes to School programs

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota communities and schools seeking to develop safer places for students to walk and bicycle can apply for $8 million in grant opportunities through the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program. Letters of intent for infrastructure grants are due by Oct. 29, 2021; application deadlines are due in early January 2022.

Planning assistance grants are available to help engage stakeholders, analyze existing data and prioritize strategies to make it safer and easier for students to walk and bicycle to school and in daily life. “Boost” grants support existing SRTS work and state infrastructure grants can fund projects that create safer streets for students to walk and bicycle.

“Schools and communities are dealing with the on-going challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, busing shortages and more; these grants can ease some of those burdens by creating safe walking and bicycling opportunities for students,” said Dave Cowan, MnDOT SRTS coordinator. “We know students do better in school when they build physical activities into their day. Safe Routes to School plans, programs and infrastructure improvements can help communities create safe spaces for people to walk and bicycle.”

Grant solicitation timeline:

• Oct. 29, 2021 - Deadline to submit letters of intent for SRTS infrastructure grants.

• Jan. 7, 2022 - Deadline to submit full applications for state infrastructure grants.

• Jan. 10, 2022 - Deadline to submit full applications for non-infrastructure grants.

• February 2022 - Grant recipients announced.

Since 2006, MnDOT has worked with more than 500 schools and communities in Minnesota to fund plans, implement programs and make infrastructure improvements to advance safe routes to school efforts.

To learn more about the grants or programs, visit the SRTS website.