Safe Routes to Schools Major Grant

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Major Grant program, administered in Michigan through the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), is part of a federal and international movement designed to make bicycling and walking to school safe, convenient, and fun for children. By creating safer routes to and from schools, the initiative aims to increase regular physical activity among students, reduce traffic congestion, unite community neighborhoods, and support students' readiness to learn.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must complete mandatory preliminary planning requirements prior to application submission. Eligible entities, which typically include school districts working in close partnership with local road authorities and municipal governments, must officially register their school, attend an introductory SRTS basics webinar training, and engage their regional SRTS grant coordinator at least 12 weeks before their intended application deadline. The mandatory local planning process, which generally spans six months to one year, requires forming a multidisciplinary SRTS team, distributing and collecting parent and student travel surveys, conducting walking and biking route audits, and hosting structured action planning sessions.

Major Grant awards support both infrastructure and non-infrastructure project components. Eligible infrastructure projects receive up to $300,000 per school for physical improvements such as sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and traffic calming treatments that resolve identified hazards along school routes. Eligible non-infrastructure initiatives receive up to $15,000 per school to fund educational programming, safety campaigns, encouragement events, and walking school bus programs.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the Michigan Department of Transportation Grant System (MGS). Submissions are evaluated through rolling review cycles. Following the application due date, submissions undergo Application Review Committee (ARC) review, technical issue resolution, and formal MDOT funding determinations.