Walk and Roll: WSDOT Active Transportation Update - Special Edition February 22, 2024

Washington State Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 02/22/2024 09:07 AM PST

    Active Transportation Division News From WSDOT and Partners

    Connectivity -- Safety -- Opportunity -- Participation -- Partnership

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    Calls for Projects: Improving safety and comfort on local roads

    Many of us have ideas about how we’d like to improve safety and comfort for people walking and rolling on streets in our communities. But finding funding and other resources to realize these ideas can be another thing entirely.

    We’re privileged to announce two funding opportunities to create and improve multimodal infrastructure. This week, we opened the 2024 Call for Projects for the Pedestrian/Bicyclist and Safe Routes to School grant programs, now available to local jurisdictions and Tribal governments in Washington state. These grants are made possible through federal and state funds, including revenues from the Climate Commitment Act. 

    Ever since these programs launched two decades ago, they have supported work to improve conditions and increase safety for people walking and rolling all over the state. Local agency and Tribal government partners use these grants to support design and construction of a range of active transportation treatments: Better protected, more visible or shortened street crossings; separated facilities like shared-use paths or pedestrian/bicyclist bridges; speed management traffic calming; and more. In addition, the Safe Routes to School Program has and continues to support education and encouragement activities that provide children with meaningful information and skills to walk and bike to school.

    These calls are meant to generate lists of prioritized projects for legislative funding decisions in the 2025-2027 biennium, with funding available beginning July 2025. For this cycle, the scoring rubric has been enhanced to clarify how the evaluation criteria affect different types of projects in our selection process. Those interested in applying will want to check out the newly released Active Transportation Programs Design Guide, which consolidates information about design treatment options and resources needed to complete more competitive applications.

    The calls for projects are open and run through midnight on May 31 and June 7 for the Pedestrian/Bicyclist and Safe Routes to School programs respectively. Applicants will find all necessary application information on each program’s web page, as well as scheduling information for webinars and application trainings starting in March.

    Direct links to calls for projects:

    Five+ Things to Read/Watch/Hear

    Trainings, Conferences, Webinars

    We add new trainings as we find them, so the list changes with every issue. Some of these offer continuing education credits. All times are shown in Pacific time zone.

    All webinars listed are FREE unless a price is noted. All items are webinars unless a location is noted.

    February

    March

    Grants and Funding Opportunities

    • WSDOT Pedestrian/Bicyclist Program and Safe Routes to School Program Calls for Projects. Local agency and Tribal government partners are invited to apply for grant funding facilitating the design and construction of infrastructure and programs enhancing safety and comfort for people who walk and roll. Deadlines: Midnight on May 31 and June 7, 2024, for PBP and SRTS respectively. 
    • 2024 Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Technical Assistance Opportunity (National Park Service - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance) Deadline: March 1
    • 2024 AARP Community Challenge Grants Variety of projects (ranging from $500 up to $50,000) within the Livable Communities program are possible, including public places and mobility/transportation improvements. Government entities and private non-profits are eligible to apply. Deadline: March 6
    • USDOT Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program – will be offering a funding opportunity up to $360,000. Applications can be submitted in an ongoing manner, and will be considered on a rolling basis; grants will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible applicants (a local government located outside of an urbanized area with a population of more than 150,000 residents; a state government seeking to advance a project for an area located outside of an urbanized area with a population of more than 150,000 residents; a federally recognized Indian Tribe; or iv. the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands) are encouraged to apply as early as possible – opportunity opened August 14, 2023.
    • Funding specifically for active transportation is coming soon from FHWA – new Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program ($45 million in Federal Fiscal Year 2023) will support planning, designing, and constructing active transportation facilities, particularly to integrate with and improve access to public transportation.

    Keep track of all of the USDOT’s discretionary funding opportunities at the DOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard. Also, a full listing of pedestrian- and bicycle-related federal funding programs is available through FHWA.

    Have any funding opportunities people should know about? Send them to WSDOTActive@wsdot.wa.gov.

    Planning and Projects

    Have an upcoming project, open house, public comment opportunity? Construction projects people should know about as they relate to biking/walking? Compliments on a project? Send them to WSDOTActive@wsdot.wa.gov.

    Present, Publish, Participate

    Call for Papers:

    • Transportation and Gentrification (Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment) Deadline: March 31.
    • Call for Webinar Presenters, 2024 and Beyond: Provide your topic ideas for the Advancing Trails Webinar Series . If any details requested are not known, they suggest that you complete the form to the best of your ability with your interest as they want to hear from you. Should your topic be selected, they are happy to save a webinar date and can obtain details to promote the webinar at a later date once available. All webinars are held on a Thursday starting at 10:00am Pacific. (American Trails)

    Call for Abstracts/Session Proposals:

    Research and Resources

    Compact City Scenario – Electrified, United States (ITDP)

    Improving the Quality of Walking and Cycling in Cities (ITF-OECD) - webinar on Feb. 27.

    The Path Less Travelled: Scaling Up Active Mobility to Capture Economic and Climate Benefits (ITDP)

    Stop, Look, and Listen: Engaging Communities to Put Equity into Action! (video of AASHTO November 2023 Session)

    Promoting Sustainable Transportation: A Transtheoretical Examination of Active Transport Modes (Sustainability)

    Investigating social inequalities in children’s independent mobility, active transportation and outdoor free play in two Canadian cities (Preventive Medicine Reports)

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    Chris Hawkins, Active Transportation Planner
    WSDOT Active Transportation Division

    hawkinc@wsdot.wa.gov