Grant Application

Grant Application

Our Fiscal Year 2023 Grant Application period is now closed. We will have approximately $5M to distribute for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects supporting communities in providing students and families with safe, accessible means of active transportation to and from school. Our Colorado Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee looks forward to reviewing all applications in coming weeks. We anticipate notifying applicants if they are awarded funding in early spring.

In our most recent Fiscal Year 2021 grant cycle, funds were awarded to twelve applicants. Infrastructure projects as awarded include installation and extension of concrete trail offering students safe routes to Mead Elementary and Middle schools, sidewalk installation and replacement in Cañon City, and construction of a protected bike/ped corridor in Gunnison. Non-infrastructure projects included expansion of SRTS programs to include additional crossing guards in Center and creation of an interactive website promoting safe routes to local schools in Mesa County. For an overview of all projects funded throughout the state, please visit our Master List of Colorado Safe Routes to School Grant-funded Projects.

This year, we made some changes to our application for this grant cycle. These include changes to:   
                                         
Match: Big news! Typically, applicants are required to contribute 20% matching funds to the total cost of their projects. New this year, the CSRTS Advisory Committee will consider awarding 100% funding to projects from qualifying communities. Eligibility for this match funding exemption has been determined utilizing the thoroughly researched and vetted Multimodal Transportation Options Fund matrix. We’re thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to communities that might not consider applying for funds due to the match requirement. Our goal is always to support more students walking and biking safely to and from school throughout Colorado, and CDOT looks forward to forging new partnerships, as well as strengthening existing ones, through the Safe Routes to School program. A complete list of qualifying communities can be found in the grant instruction manual. 

Communities that do not qualify for complete funding are still encouraged to apply for funding, but will have to provide 20% matching funds. Here's an example of how to calculate Match amounts: 

Requested amount: $500,000
Let's say your requested amount is $500,000, as above. To find match, we will divide your requested amount ($500,000, in this example) by .80 (80%) to yield the total project cost of $625,000. We will then multiply that new amount, $625,000, by .20 (20%), yielding
Match amount: $125,000 

Maps: New this year, all applicants with Infrastructure projects must utilize Google maps to create the required school maps. For quick, easy-to-follow guidance on how to do this, please watch this Mapping Your SRTS Project with Google Maps video. You will also find written instructions as a resource at the end of our Fiscal Year 2023 Grant Application Guide. Additionally, please view this sample completed map prepared by CDOT Senior Geographic Information Specialist Nate Rogers.  

Right of Way: Infrastructure projects that require Right of Way or permanent easement for construction must clearly demonstrate that this is in place at the time of application.

How to Prepare Your Safe Route to Schools Application

What You Can Do Today

We want to make sure you have all the information your organization needs to apply for funding. We are rooting for your success! If you are interested in pursuing this upcoming opportunity, here are some simple steps to take before applying:     

  1. Determine your eligibility. To apply for a CSRTS grant, applicants must be a political subdivision of the state. For a definition of "subdivision of the state", please click this link: https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2016/title-29/general-provisions/article-1/part-9/section-29-1-901
  2. Identify what type of grant your project might qualify for, infrastructure or non-infrastructure: On our website, you can find the Fiscal Year 2021 top-scoring infrastructure application and the Fiscal Year 2021 top-scoring non-infrastructure application for your reference. Please note, in order to offer these applications in the most useful and readable format, we have transferred information from Salesforce into new, modified documents. These documents do not represent the exact format of the application. 
  3. Sign up for an account at https://cotrams.force.com/srtscommunity . Once set up, you will be able to access our online application. 
  4. Read through our Fiscal Year 2023 Grant Application Guide. This updated guide provides a thorough run-down of both infrastructure and non-infrastructure applications so can anticipate what to expect and ready the tools to be successful. 
  5. Read through our new community engagement toolkit, Working Together to Make Meaningful Change: A Toolkit for Engaging Communities Across Colorado. Created by Safe Routes Partnership with support from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado Safe Routes to School, this resource offers tips and strategies for authentic and equitable community engagement which we would love to see incorporated into projects. For a thorough overview of the toolkit, check out the recording from our January webinar!
  6. Watch this recorded Google Meet Grant Application Question and Answer session held by our Program Manager Melissa Trecoske Houghton for an overview of our grant application requirements including a demonstration for mapping your project in Google Maps. 
  7. Contact us! If you have specific questions about your project, please contact our Colorado Safe Routes to School Program Manager Melissa Trecoske Houghton at [email protected]state.co.us.  

 Fiscal Year 23 Grant Application Guide

Looking for a form?

Are you a current grantee, looking for a form? Please visit a resource below:

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