Safe Routes to School

The Colorado Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). This initiative supports infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects that promote the safety and accessibility of active transportation routes for students and families commuting to and from school. The program adopts a comprehensive approach that includes engineering, education, encouragement, and evaluation, ensuring safe walking and biking paths for children in grades K-8. The SRTS initiative reflects Colorado’s commitment to fostering safe, healthy, and sustainable transportation alternatives for youth. The Fiscal Year 2025 grant cycle for Colorado SRTS has closed, with CDOT reporting a record number of applications—twice as many as in recent years. Over $7 million in funding will be distributed among selected applicants, reinforcing the state’s investment in enhancing school transportation safety. Projects supported through this grant address both physical infrastructure, such as sidewalks and crosswalks, and educational or motivational initiatives like Walking School Buses. This dual emphasis empowers communities to tailor solutions that suit their unique needs. Eligible applicants include school districts, individual schools, cities, counties, tribal entities, and state-level organizations. Nonprofit organizations may apply as well, provided they collaborate with a state subdivision. This structured eligibility ensures applicants are well-positioned to implement, oversee, and sustain projects effectively. Grant awards are determined by an advisory committee comprising educators, transportation professionals, law enforcement, parents, and community advocates, ensuring a broad and inclusive evaluation process. While the application period for the 2025 funding cycle is closed, the next anticipated application window is expected to open in August 2026. This recurring schedule encourages early preparation and planning. All applicants are encouraged to consult the Grant Application section for up-to-date guidance on required documentation and evaluation practices. Evaluation is a core component of the program, and grantees are expected to use CDOT-provided tools to measure the effectiveness of their programs. The closure of the National Safe Routes Data Collection site has prompted the program to explore new avenues for evaluation. The program's background underscores a significant societal shift in school transportation habits: whereas nearly half of all school-age children walked or biked to school in 1969, today the vast majority are driven. SRTS aims to reverse this trend by supporting safer, healthier options. Additional resources, such as strategic planning documents and bilingual fact sheets, are available to support applicants and stakeholders in developing comprehensive strategies tailored to their communities. For further information or inquiries, the designated program contact is Melissa Trecoske Houghton, Safe Routes to School Program Manager. She can be reached via email at melissa.houghton@state.co.us or by phone at 720-307-6704. To stay informed about program updates, interested parties may also request to join the e-newsletter by contacting wendy.mcmillan@state.co.us.