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​​Who Can Apply?

The following groups are eligible to apply for Safe Route to School projects or programs that promotes safe active transportation modes (walking or biking) to schools:

    • School districts, local education agencies, or schools
    • Local governments
    • Regional transportation authorities
    • Transit agencies
    • Natural resource or public land agencies, including Federal agencies
    • Tribal governments
    • Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) that serve an urbanized area with a population of 200,000 or fewer
    • A nonprofit entity
    • Any other local or regional governmental entity with responsibility for oversight of transportation or recreational trails (other than an RPO, an MPO with a population over 200,000, or a state agency)
    • County Recreational Trails Authorities
    • County Recreational Authorities
    • Urban Redevelopment Authorities
    • Transportation Management Associations (TMAs)
    • Universities and Colleges (public and private, however, improvements must be in public right-of-way)
    • Municipal authorities (when the authority’s establishing document specifically cites transportation or recreation as a stated purpose)
    • A state, at the request of an eligible entity listed above

How Do I Apply?

Applicants must apply for Safe Routes to School project funding through PennDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Set- Aside (TASA) Program.

Apply for TASA Funding in Five Steps

Step One: Register for a PDAuth Username
New TASA application system users can request access by going to https://gis.penndot.gov/pdauth/login and logging into an existing PDAuth account if they have one (CONNECTS users should already have a PDAuth account). If a user does not have an account, select Create Account.

Step Two: Register for TASA Access through the PDAuth System
Once a user is logged into PDAuth, the user can then choose “Request access to an application.” The user will be taken to a new screen where they can select the application system they wish to access.  For TASA access, select TASA from the list. Complete the required Request Reason, check the confirmation box, and click the Request Access button.

Step Three: Submit Draft Application

There are guides on the TASA webpage to assist you with the application process, including:

Step Four: Attend Draft Application Meeting with PennDOT and Planning Partner
PennDOT will reach out to the applicant to schedule a Draft Application Meeting. Planning partners, such as a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPOs) or Rural Planning Organizations (RPO) will also be invited to attend. The goal of a Draft Application meeting is to complete a preliminary review of the proposed project to evaluate eligibility, scope of work, cost estimates, and to determine the feasibility of completion within the required timeframe.

Step Five: Submit Final Application
Revise your application based on the Draft Application Meeting and submit the final application before the established deadline.

Other Funding Opportunities

In recent years, concern over childhood health, increasing fuel prices and traffic congestion, and increasingly tighter school budgets have made Safe Routes to School a  popular topic at the federal, state and local levels. 

Funding sources are available to address pedestrian and cycling routes in  Pennsylvania communities. The following federal, state and local funding sources are also available and worthy of consideration when a sponsor is  interested in the implementation of Safe Routes to School projects or activities:

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