GOAL
Increase Activity and Improve Health
In 1969, about half of all students in the nation walked or bicycled to school, including approximately 87 percent of students who lived within 1 mile of their school. Today, approximately 10 percent of school students walk or bicycle to school.
Over the past half century, communities have become more auto-dependent. Across the nation, people are driving more and walking less, which is contributing to more Americans becoming obese or overweight.
Most students today do not get enough physical activity, and it is evidenced in their health. Obesity rates have soared over the past 40 years with
more than 33 percent of children and adolescents now considered overweight or obese or at risk of becoming so.
The epidemic is so great that it is regularly cited that today’s generation of students may be the first in more than 200 years to live a less healthy and shorter lifespan than their parents.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adolescents participate in 60 minutes of structured and informal physical activity a day. Walking or bicycling one mile to and from school each day provides two-thirds of the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity.
SRTS projects strive to make it safer for students to walk and bicycle to school, and this can lead to increased physical activity and ultimately healthier kids.
GOAL
Reduce Traffic and Pollution and Improve Communities
As much as 20 to 30 percent of morning traffic is generated by parents driving their students to schools. Private vehicles account for half of the school trips that are between a quarter and a half mile, a distance that could easily be traversed on foot or by bike.
More cars on the road mean increased air pollution, which affects the community’s overall health and well-being.
One-third of schools in the United States are in “air pollution” danger zones.
Contact
Justin Cambric
Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Coordinator
Fax: 717-787-5247
Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) Program Office
Students exposed to air pollution are more likely to have asthma and a higher risk of heart and other problems.
If students walk and bicycle to school, they need safe routes. Pedestrians are more than twice as likely to be struck by a vehicle in locations without sidewalks. That’s why it is critical that pedestrian-friendly infrastructure be in place around a school, that crosswalks and crossing guards ensure safe intersections, and that road signs alert motorists to watch for pedestrians and cyclists. If students and their parents don’t feel safe while walking and bicycling to school, they’re not going to do it, no matter how much they believe in the health benefits.
Creating safe routes to school will ultimately provide an improved local infrastructure network that welcomes active transportation. Beyond giving students safer routes for traveling to and from school, the addition of walking and biking paths also provides residents with more choices for traveling throughout their community, whether it’s by foot, by bicycle, or by vehicle. The end result is a more livable, attractive, and desirable community for all its citizens.
How to Apply
The following groups are eligible to apply for Safe Route to School projects or programs:
- School districts, local education agencies, or schools
- Local governments
- Regional transportation authorities
- Transit agencies
- Tribal governments
- County Recreational Trails Authorities
- County Recreational Authorities
- Urban Redevelopment Authorities
- Natural resource or public land agencies, including Federal agencies
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) that serve small urban areas. These areas must have a population of 200,000 or less
- Any other local or regional governmental organization with oversight of transportation or recreational trails. This doesn't apply to an RPO, an MPO with over 200,000 people, or a state agency.
- Transportation Management Associations (TMAs)
- Universities and Colleges making improvements to public right-of-way
- Municipal authorities
You can apply for funding for a Safe Routes to School project through a five-step process.
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1
Register for a PDAuth Username
If you don't have a PDAuth account, go to https://gis.penndot.gov/pdauth/login and select Create Account. If you do have an existing PDAuth account, login to your account.
Note: CONNECTS users should already have a PDAuth account.
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2
Register for TASA Access through the PDAuth System
Once logged in, choose "Request access to an application." This will take you to a new screen. Select TASA from the list of applications.
- Fill out the Request Reason box
- Check the confirmation box
- Click the Request Access button
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3
Submit a Draft Application
Next, you need to submit a draft application (timing and deadlines for 2024 to be announced). There are multiple guides on the TASA webpage to help you with the application process, including:
The application worksheet is only for informational purposes. You need to submit your application through the application system.
The application system is located at
https://gis.penndot.gov/tasa/home. All starred items are required for the draft application. -
4
Attend Draft Application Meeting with PennDOT and Planning Partner
After you submit a draft application, PennDOT will reach out to you. They will schedule a draft application meeting with you.
Planning partners will also be invited to attend the meeting.
The goal of a draft application meeting is to complete a preliminary review of the proposed project by:
- Evaluate eligibility
- Review scope of work
- Review cost estimates
- Determine if the project can be completed within the required time frame
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5
Submit Final Application
Revise your application based on feedback from the draft application meeting. Be sure to submit your final application by the due date (timing and deadlines for 2024 to be announced).