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Safe Routes to School: Celebrating our progress and looking forward in 2025
Jan. 31, 2025
ODOT’s Safe Routes to School program had a great year in 2024, and there is more great work ahead in 2025!
What we've accomplished together since the start of 2024:
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Education Program: 14 projects received funding in summer 2024 for programs promoting safe, active transportation for students and families to get to school.
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Construction Program: 28 projects were approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission in early 2025 to invest in new sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, curb ramps, and improvements that will make schools safer and more accessible.
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Construction Technical Services: 14 Safe Routes to School projects were selected to receive planning assistance and additional engineering support from ODOT.
In total, we invested nearly $34 million in bringing more Safe Routes to School projects and education programs to communities around Oregon.
“By investing in education and infrastructure, we can create lasting positive impacts on our children's health, safety, and well-being,” said Xao Posadas, ODOT’s Safe Routes to School construction program manager.
In 2024, Oregon also received a few national accolades because of our collective investments and efforts to promote safe walking and biking:
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Oregon was the first in the nation for participation International Walk & Roll to School Day. (Read more.)
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Oregon was ranked third most bicycle friendly state in the nation by the League of American Bicyclists. (Read more.)
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Oregon was just one of five states to receive a national grant to improve safe walking and rolling to school in an underserved area. (Read more.)
"We're committed to getting young people involved in making transportation safer and more accessible," said ODOT’s Safe Routes to School Education Program Manager Heidi Manlove in an April press release. "By teaming up with local groups and getting our community involved, we're confident these efforts will make a lasting difference in youth safety in Oregon."
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Looking ahead: How to access funds, services, and provide feedback
2025
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The ODOT Safe Routes to School Construction Rapid Response Grant solicitation is open and ongoing! Learn more on our website Rapid Response Grants. ODOT also has an ongoing grant solicitation through the Innovative Mobility Program which can fund some items used in Safe Routes to School programming.
- We need your feedback to help improve and expand access to the Safe Routes to School program! Whether or not you’ve applied for a Safe Routes to School grant before, your input is essential in making the program more effective and accessible to all. The survey takes approximately 7 minutes to complete and will remain open until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Follow this link to take the survey.
- ODOT Safe Routes to School is launching the Traffic Garden Pilot Program to support the design and installation of traffic gardens in Oregon. This round of the pilot will select one permanent and two non-permanent traffic gardens for design and/or implementation. Eligible communities must meet site requirements, attend four virtual meetings, participate in a site visit, and provide local installation support. Interested applicants should submit an online form by Feb. 14, 2025. To learn more about the program and about Traffic Gardens, please see the Traffic Garden Report.
- We are also excited to launch a High School Task Force, a new program aimed engaging high school students in transportation initiatives. The Safe Routes to School High School Task Force empowers students to take an active role in creating safer and more sustainable transportation options for their communities. In addition to earning a $500 stipend for their participation, students will collaborate with planners, local leaders, and peers to make meaningful changes while gaining leadership and advocacy skills. Interested applicants can submit an online form by Feb. 14, 2025.
2026
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Solicitation for Safe Routes to School Education, Construction, and Technical Assistance grants will be open for applications in spring 2026. Stay tuned for more information about the next round of solicitations.
- Please make sure you are signed up for email updates to be notified when our programs are accepting applications. Follow this link and select the “SRTS programs” topic under the Bike/Ped category. (If you received this email, good news, you’re on the list!)
About Safe Routes to School
ODOT’s Safe Routes to School program creates safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to walk, bike, and roll to and from school. This includes investments in pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, bike lanes and more, in addition to education and outreach programs that encourage students to walk and roll to school safely.
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Flying in 2025? Starting May 7, you’ll need federally accepted ID. Be REAL ID ready!
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