Safe Routes to School

Coming Soon: Maine Safe Routes to School Mini-Grant Application!
Application Will Be Released After the New Year

Maine SRTS is looking forward to the launch of the 2015 Mini-Grant Program for school initiatives this spring that go the extra step to build stronger walk and bike to school programs! (For example, in the photo at right from Woodside Elementary School in Topsham, a 2014 Maine SRTS Mini-Grant recipient).

These grants are intended to provide communities with helpful structure and additional resources to assist you with getting more students safely walking and bicycling to school and around town.  SRTS will select up to 20 recipients to receive awards of up to $250 each for projects this spring; and similar to years past, schools or community groups are encouraged to consider a large breadth of possible projects.    

To get started thinking about what you might like to apply to do, please see here for more information and a copy of last year's application and feel free to be in touch with Maine Safe Routes staff to think through your project ideas.  The 2015 Application will be released after the new year.

Due January 31 - Letter of Interest for PeopleForBikes Community Grant Program
The PeopleForBikes Community Grant Program supports bicycle infrastructure projects and targeted advocacy initiatives that make it easier and safer for people of all ages and abilities to ride.

PeopleForBikes accepts grant applications from non-profit organizations with a focus on bicycling, active transportation, or community development, from city or county agencies or departments, and from state or federal agencies working locally. Requests must support a specific project or program; the group does not grant funds for general operating costs.

PeopleForBikes focuses most grant funds on bicycle infrastructure projects such as:

• Bike paths, lanes, trails, and bridges
• Mountain bike facilities
• Bike parks and pump tracks
• BMX facilities
• End-of-trip facilities such as bike racks, bike parking, and bike storage

It also funds some advocacy projects, such as:

• Programs that transform city streets, such as Ciclovías or Open Streets Days
• Initiatives designed to increase ridership or the investment in bicycle infrastructure

PeopleForBikes will fund engineering and design work, construction costs including materials, labor, and equipment rental, and reasonable volunteer support costs. For advocacy projects, it will fund staffing that is directly related to accomplishing the goals of the initiative.

PeopleForBikes accepts requests for funding of up to $10,000. It does not require a specific percentage match, but does look at leverage and funding partnerships very carefully. It will not consider grant requests in which PeopleForBikes funding would amount to 50% or more of the project budget.

See more information and apply here.  Online application opens December 15.  Deadline for the Letter of Interest in applying isJanuary 30, 2015.   

Various Deadlines - Community Development Block Grants (CBDG)
Each year the State of Maine receives an allocation of funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to be distributed to eligible Maine communities under the Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) Program.  Some of these funds can be used for physical infrastructure safety improvements such as building sidewalks and other quality of place facilities.

CBDG Program categories your community may be eligible for are:

• Downtown Revitalization Program - includes sidewalks
• Public Facilities - includes parks and recreation facilities
• Public Infrastructure - includes streets, roads and sidewalks, curbs and gutters
• Maine Downtown Center Assistance - includes planning, capacity building, technical assistance and administration directly related to furthering the Maine Downtown Center’s objectives in building vibrant, sustainable Maine downtowns

• Economic Development Program - includes streets, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, etc. owned by the municipality or public or private utility and where improvements would support of an identified business which will create or retain jobs in the non-retail sector for low and moderate income persons.For the Economic Development Program, Letters of Intent to Apply are due the first Friday of each month by 4pm.

See here for more information on the above categories and their related application processes.  Unless noted above, Letters of Intent to Apply for CBDG program funds will likely be due sometime after the first of the year (2014 letters for the categories above were due between January and April this past year).