AB 1194, as amended, Ammiano. Safe Routes to School Program.
Existing law creates the Safe Routes to School Program, administered by the Department of Transportation in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol. Existing law requires thebegin delete departmentend deletebegin insert Department of Transportationend insert to award grants to local government agencies based on the results of a statewide competition, under which proposals submitted for funding are rated based on various factors. Existing law provides for the program to be funded from state and federal funds, as specified.
This bill wouldbegin insert provide that the program may fund both construction and noninfrastructure activities, as specified. The bill wouldend insert require the program to be funded by an annual appropriation in the budget act of not less than $46,000,000, consisting of federal and state transportation funds eligible to be expended for this purpose.begin insert The bill would require 20% of program funds to be used for noninfrastructure activities, as specified.end insert The bill would authorize the transfer of the responsibility for selecting projects and awarding grants from the Department of Transportation to the California Transportation Commission, at the discretion of the Transportation Agency.begin insert The bill would require the Department of Transportation to employ a full-time coordinator to administer the program.end insert The bill would also delete references to a superseded federal transportation act.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 2333.5 of the Streets and Highways Code
2 is amended to read:
(a) The department, in consultation with the
4Department of the California Highway Patrol, shall establish and
5administer a “Safe Routes to School”begin delete constructionend delete programbegin delete for begin insert with the following elements:end insert
6constructionend delete
7begin insert(1)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertConstructionend insert of bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic
8calming projects.
9(2) Noninfrastructure-related activities to encourage walking
10and bicycling to school, including public awareness campaigns
11and outreach to press and community leaders, traffic education
12and enforcement in the vicinity of schools, student sessions on
13bicycle and pedestrian safety, health, and environment, and funding
14for training, volunteers, and managers of safe routes to school
15programs.
16(b) The department shall award grants to local governmental
17agencies under the program based on the results of a statewide
18competition that requires submission of proposals for funding and
19rates those proposals on all of the following factors:
20(1) Demonstrated needs of the applicant.
21(2) Potential of
the proposal for reducing child injuries and
22fatalities.
23(3) Potential of the proposal for encouraging increased walking
24and bicycling among students.
25(4) Identification of safety hazards.
26(5) Identification of current and potential walking and bicycling
27routes to school.
28(6) Use of a public participation process, including, but not
29limited to, a public meeting that satisfies all of the following:
30(A) Involves the public, schools, parents, teachers, local
31agencies, the business community, key professionals, and others.
P3 1(B) Identifies
community priorities and gathers community
2input to guide the development of projects included in the proposal.
3(C) Ensures that community priorities are reflected in the
4proposal.
5(D) Secures support for the proposal by relevant stakeholders.
6(7) Benefit to a low-income school, defined for purposes of this
7section to mean a school where at least 75 percent of students are
8eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals under the National
9School Lunch Program.
10 (c) The program shall be funded by an annual appropriation in
11the Budget Act of not less than forty-six million dollars
12($46,000,000), consisting of federal and state transportation funds
13eligible
to be expended for this purpose.
14(d) Any federal funding received by the state that is designated
15for “Safe Routes to School” projects shall be distributed by the
16department under the competitive grant process, consistent with
17all applicable federal requirements.
18(e) Prior to the award of any construction grant or the
19department’s use of those funds for a “Safe Routes to School”
20construction project encompassing a freeway, state highway, or
21county road, the department shall consult with, and obtain approval
22from, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, ensuring
23that the “Safe Routes to School” proposal complements the
24California Highway Patrol’s Pedestrian Corridor Safety Program
25and is consistent with its statewide pedestrian safety statistical
26analysis.
27(f) The department is encouraged to coordinate with law
28enforcement agencies’ community policing efforts in establishing
29and maintaining the “Safe Routes to School”begin delete constructionend delete program.
30(g) In the development of guidelines and procedures governing
31this program, the department shall fully consider the needs of
32low-income schools.
33(h) Up to 10 percent of program funds may be used to assist
34eligible recipients in making infrastructure improvements, other
35than schoolbus shelters, that create safe routes to schoolbus stops
36that are located outside the vicinity of schools.
37(i) At the
discretion of the Transportation Agency, the
38responsibility for selecting projects and awarding grants under this
39section pursuant to the statewide competitive grant process may
40be transferred from the department to the commission.
P4 1(j) Twenty percent of program funds shall be used for
2noninfrastructure-related activities as described in paragraph (2)
3of subdivision (a). Up to 20 percent of the funds used for
4noninfrastructure-related activities shall be used for a statewide
5technical assistance resource center.
6(k) The department shall employ a full-time safe routes to school
7coordinator to administer the Safe Routes to School program.
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