Caltrans awards $45 million in Safe Routes to School funding

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has awarded $45 million to California cities and counties to fund 88 projects for Safe Routes to School, a program designed to provide infrastructure and education to give students easier and healthier ways to safely travel to and from schools.

"Safety is Caltrans' number one priority, and nothing is more important than ensuring the health and safe passage of our children," Caltrans Director Will Kempton said.

California expects to receive $68 million in federal funding for Safe Routes to School over the program's five-year lifespan. 70% of funds will go toward infrastructure projects like new crosswalks and signage; 20% will be allocated to non-infrastructure projects such as faculty and student education and 10% will be used to develop standardized training, promotional materials, curriculums and other resources.

Safe Routes to School benefits children in grade or middle schools, and improvements to the infrastructure must be made within two miles of a school.