Safe Routes Activating Communities Program Application Form

Overview

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Safe Routes to School Partnership invite applications for the 2026 Colorado Safe Routes Activating Communities Program.

Please review the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on the Safe Routes Activating Communities webpage before filling out the application.

Applications will be accepted from Aug. 20, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2026. Applications must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30 to be considered. Award decisions will be announced by Oct. 30, 2026.

If you have questions or need application assistance, please schedule a session with program staff or email [email protected]

Community & Organization Information

1. Community Name

2. Agency or Organization Name

3. Agency or Organization Mailing Address Please include street address, city, state and ZIP code

4a. What type of organization do you represent? Applicants must be a political subdivision of the state to be eligible.

Local or tribal government School Special district (e.g. school, business improvement) Other

4b. If you selected "Other", please specify your organization type

5a. Are you partnering with another organization for this program?

yes no

5b. If you selected "yes," please list the partner organization

6. What is your organization’s total approximate full time equivalent (FTE) staff?

7. What is your Sam.gov Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)? Participating entities must have a valid SAM.gov UEI to receive federal funding.

Learn more about UEI at Sam.gov website.

8. Tell us about your community and the people you serve, such as demographics, income levels, etc. Please include whether you are primarily rural or a small town, and how your community’s resource levels impact your need for support. Please limit your response to no more than 200 words.

Primary Contact Information

9a. First and Last Name

9b. Job title in the community or agency

9c. Email Address

9d. Phone Number

Safe Routes Development

Safe Routes Activating Communities is a program for communities in the early stages of developing a Safe Routes program. Below is a list of the early Safe Routes development stages:

Beginning stage: Haven't started anything or have recently started researching where to begin
Research/Planning stage: Currently researching and/or developing a plan(s)
Program Deployment stage: Have a draft plan and have started working on a program or projects (including engagement or educational activities)

10. What stage best describes your community or organization?

Beginning stage Research/Planning stage Program Deployment stage

11. If relevant, tell us in 1 to 2 sentences what you have accomplished so far in developing safe routes for your community.

Current Challenges

12a. What challenges is your community facing in getting more people to walk, bike and roll for transportation? Challenges examples: safety, lack of infrastructure, health, economic changes, etc. Please limit your answer to no more than 200 words.

12b. What everyday destinations are currently the most challenging or unsafe for residents to reach by walking, biking, and rolling? Destination examples: schools, grocery stores, parks, etc. Please limit your answer to no more than 200 words.

Responsibility & Commitment

This program will require regular participation. Designate a "Champion" who will attend the six Community of Practice sessions, participate in technical assistance one-on-one calls, and be responsible for completing the Safe Routes Action Plan.

13a. Who will be the Champion staff member? Please list their name and role, if different from the primary contact.

13b. Please describe your Champion’s connection to the community and previous work on similar projects. Please limit your answer to no more than 200 words.

The Vision

Please limit your response to a maximum of 200 words for each of the three questions below.

14a. How do you plan to use this Safe Routes Action Plan once it is finalized?

14b. How will it fit into your community’s long-term vision for walking, biking and rolling?

15a. Do you have a specific activity you want to try with the $10,000 mini-grant? No need for a plan. If you don’t have an idea yet, you can skip this question.

Acknowledgments

If an award is approved, this document represents your commitment to the following:

Attendance: I commit to attending all six virtual Community of Practice sessions. In the event that exigent circumstances prevent me from attending a session, I will make every reasonable effort to find a representative to attend in my place.
Action Planning: I commit to participating in up to 10 hours of one-on-one technical assistance with the Safe Routes Partnership to develop a Safe Routes Action Plan.
Mini-grant: I understand the $10,000 reimbursement grant is for implementing an early action item identified and approved by CDOT during the planning process. The applicant organization will be responsible for paying for expenses up-front and submitting the required documentation to receive reimbursement. Each applicant awarded funds will receive a notice from CDOT to proceed prior to expending funds. These funds cannot be used for physical/infrastructure costs.
Deadline for Invoicing: I understand that the activity must be satisfactorily completed and invoiced for reimbursement by November 2027.
Reporting: I agree to submit a brief close-out/evaluation report to CDOT upon activity completion and prior to Dec. 31, 2027.
Procurement: By completing and submitting this application, I acknowledge that if awarded, the use of grant awards will be in compliance with my entity’s procurement standards that identify appropriate procedures to ensure projects are procured through an open, equitable and competitive process.
Applicable Laws: By completing and submitting this application, I acknowledge the grantee’s President, Chief Elected Official (Mayor or County Commission Chair) or City/County Manager or equivalent, has certified they support this grant request to be submitted for funding and will follow all State fiscal policies, and state and federal regulations (including the Americans with Disability Act) for the entire activity, if awarded.

I understand that upon submitting this form, I acknowledge the statements above

yes no

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