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 the Department of Transportation 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 would provide that the program may fund both construction and noninfrastructure activities, as specified.begin delete The bill would 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.end delete
The bill would require 20% of program funds to be used for noninfrastructure activities, as specified. 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. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to employ a full-time coordinator to administer the program.begin delete The bill would also delete references to a superseded federal
transportation act.end delete
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” program with the following
6elements:
7(1) Construction 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:
P3 1(A) Involves the public, schools, parents, teachers, local
2agencies, the business community, key professionals, and others.
3(B) Identifies community priorities and gathers community
4input to guide the development of projects included in the proposal.
5(C) Ensures that community priorities are reflected in the
6proposal.
7(D) Secures support for the proposal by relevant stakeholders.
8(7) Benefit to a low-income school, defined for purposes of this
9section to mean a school where at least 75 percent of students are
10eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals under the National
11School Lunch Program.
12(c) The program shall be funded by an annual appropriation in
13the Budget Act of not less than forty-six million dollars
14($46,000,000), consisting of federal and state transportation funds
15eligible
to be expended for this purpose.
16(c) Any annual budget allocation to fund grants described in
17subdivision (b) shall be in addition to any federal funding received
18by the state that is designated for “Safe Routes to School” projects
19pursuant to Section 1404 of SAFETEA-LU or any similar program
20funded through a subsequent transportation act.
21(d) Any federal funding received by the state that is designated
22for “Safe Routes to School” projects shall be distributed by the
23department under the competitive grant process, consistent with
24all applicable federal requirements.
25(e) Prior to the award of any construction grant or the
26department’s use of
those funds for a “Safe Routes to School”
27construction project encompassing a freeway, state highway, or
28county road, the department shall consult with, and obtain approval
29from, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, ensuring
30that the “Safe Routes to School” proposal complements the
31California Highway Patrol’s Pedestrian Corridor Safety Program
32and is consistent with its statewide pedestrian safety statistical
33analysis.
34(f) The department is encouraged to coordinate with law
35enforcement agencies’ community policing efforts in establishing
36and maintaining the “Safe Routes to School” program.
37(g) In the development of guidelines and procedures governing
38this program, the department shall fully consider the needs of
39low-income schools.
P4 1(h) Up to 10 percent of program funds may be used to assist
2eligible recipients in making infrastructure improvements, other
3than schoolbus shelters, that create safe routes to schoolbus stops
4that are located outside the vicinity of schools.
5(i) At the discretion of the Transportation Agency, the
6 responsibility for selecting projects and awarding grants under this
7section pursuant to the statewide competitive grant process may
8be transferred from the department to the commission.
9(j) Twenty percent of program funds shall be used for
10noninfrastructure-related activities as described in paragraph (2)
11of subdivision (a). Up to 20 percent of the funds used for
12noninfrastructure-related activities shall be used for a statewide
13
technical assistance resource center.
14(k) The department shall employ a full-time safe routes to school
15coordinator to administer the Safe Routes to School program.
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