Safe Routes to School Program
Forecasted
Safe Routes to School Program supports K–12 students through infrastructure, design, and education projects that make walking, rolling, and bicycling to school safer and encourage healthier travel.
Funder: Washington State Department of Transportation
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2028 (Tribal consultation initiation) | April 2028 (Application)
Funding Amounts: Estimated $56,950,000 for 2027–29; no minimum or maximum project request; no match required
Summary: Supports infrastructure, project development, and education that make walking, rolling, and bicycling to K–12 schools safer.
Key Information: Infrastructure and development/design-only applications require documented pre-application tribal consultation lasting at least 30 days.
Description
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program funds projects that improve children’s safety and mobility while encouraging walking, rolling, and bicycling to school. It serves kindergarten through 12th-grade students attending public and private schools, with infrastructure improvements located within two miles of a school. Goals include safer school travel, healthier lifestyles, and reduced traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution near schools.
WSDOT’s Active Transportation Division evaluates and ranks proposals for legislative funding approval. The program supports permanent infrastructure, community-centered development and design, and education and encouragement activities. Funding comes from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, the state multimodal transportation account, and federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriations.
