Applications for the Minnesota Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School planning assistance grant program are due by March 3.
The Region Five Development Commission has partnered with MnDOT district 3 to provide planning and infrastructure development to schools and communities in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties. The Safe Routes to School grants can help develop safer routes for students to walk and bicycle to school.
"Planning assistance grants are the first step for communities to assess their current conditions for walking and bicycling to school and decide what they need to effectively implement a Safe Routes to School program," said Dave Cowan, SRTS coordinator, in a news release. "After a plan is developed, schools and communities use this blueprint to apply for funds to advance infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks and signage, and non-infrastructure solutions such as educational programming, events and enforcement."
The Region Five Development Commission assists communities in all aspects of Safe Routes to School including developing a planning team, assisting in application development, meeting facilitation, conducting community surveys, conducting walk audits, analysis of issues and barriers, providing recommendations and drafting and adoption of the final plan. Since 2012, R5DC has completed 10 Safe Routes to School plans for communities and schools throughout the region. For more information, visit www.dot.state.mn.us/safetroutes/planning-grants.html or contact Staci Headley, Region Five regional planner, at sheadley@regionfive.org .
