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Safe Routes to School: Planning for the 2024-25 school year
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program has announced new opportunities open to the public as the 2024-2025 school year gets underway. Whether it’s an event, grant funding, or submitting helpful feedback, there are so many ways to get involved.
Celebration of walking event: October 9, 2024
SRTS is inviting everyone to celebrate international Walk to School Day by hosting a special event with the program’s support! Register your participation as an entire school, a neighborhood, or a family. These events are important opportunities to encourage physical activity and promote safety in neighborhoods and near schools.
SRTS will send you posters to advertise your event, stickers and zipper pulls for the kids, and educational spoke cards and bookmarks to share with students to schools that register to share on your event day. Please register by Friday, September 20.
Join the MnSRTS Photo Contest and share where you love to walk. SRTS will highlight winning photos all month long to encourage more walking in Minnesota.
Plan and market your event:
- Check out these ideas for Walk to School Day 2023 from the National Walk and Bike to School Day website for inspiration at the family, neighborhood, or school level.
- Here are some resources to help you plan. These can be used in-school, by classroom or physical education teachers in a distance-learning context, or by families at home. Download the Walk to School Day Marketing Materials, premade posters, social media ads, flyers and post card mailers.
Grants & Funding
Stay tuned for many upcoming grant solicitations for Safe Routes to School this October. Funding opportunities include:
- Planning Assistance solicitation to help develop an SRTS plan
- Boost Non-Infrastructure solicitation to support communities with existing SRTS plans to promote non-infrastructure projects like walking school buses, bike fleets, crossing guard supplies, signage and more
- Design Assistance solicitation to bridge the gap between Safe Routes to School plan strategies and implementation
- Demonstration Projects solicitation to provide short term, low-cost, temporary roadway projects used to pilot long-term design solutions to improve walking/bicycling and public spaces
- State-funded SRTS Infrastructure Grants
- Greater Minnesota Transportation Alternatives (infrastructure) solicitation for federal infrastructure funding for Greater Minnesota communities (requires 20 percent match)
Join SRTS Office Hours
Have questions or ideas about Safe Routes to School (SRTS)? Join the new office hours for brainstorming, feedback, and success stories.
Office Hours Schedule:
- 1st Monday of the Month at 3 p.m.
- 3rd Thursday of the Month at 8:30 a.m.
Each 30-minute session is a great chance to engage with the SRTS team. Everyone is welcome! Access Link here: News – Safe Routes to School – MnDOT (state.mn.us)
Active Transportation Education Requirement
The State of Minnesota requires all public-school students to receive age-appropriate education related to safe walking and bicycling during the first few weeks of class each year. This mandate went into effect last August. MnDOT provides resources to help schools meet this requirement.
SRTS Program Materials
Check out SRTS materials, including back-to-school flyers and walk zone postcards for your school community.
Visit the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) website for more information about this important initiative.
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