About Colorado Safe Routes

According to the Federal Highway Administration, nearly half of all children walked or biked to school in 1969. Today, those numbers have dropped to less than 10 percent.

Since 2005 Colorado Safe Routes to Schools program has enabled and encouraged students, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school. The program aims to empower our community to address barriers that inhibit students from walking and biking to school. In addition to helping to address health problems related to sedentary behavior among children, the program aims to help reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

Colorado Safe Routes to Schools is 100 percent federally funded  and is managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

For the 2010 funding cycle, CDOT will grant between $1m and $1.6m for infrastructure improvements statewide. Grants are to be awarded through a statewide competitive process, and in proportion to the geographic distribution of the student population for grades K-8.

With federal funding from the Safe Routes to School Program, urban municipalities may carry out planning, design and construction projects that improve the ability of students to walk and bike to school.

Engineering projects may include:

• Sidewalk improvements
• Pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements
• Off-street and on-street pedestrian and bicycle facilities
• Secure bicycle and parking facilities
• Traffic calming and speed reduction improvements
• Traffic diversion improvements near schools

City of Boulder Safe Routes Projects

City of Boulder Projects

To date, the City of Boulder's Transportation Division has been awarded almost $750,000 in Safe Routes to School funding for infrastructure improvement projects. These funds will construct infrastructure-related projects that facilitate biking and walking to the Boulder area schools listed below.

For more information, contact Marni Ratzel, Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Planner at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 303-441-4138.

1. Flatirons Elementary - Infrastructure improvements include an enhanced pedestrian crossing at 8^th Street and College Avenue, an improved bike/pedestrian connection to the school from this intersection and new bike parking.  The project was completed in the fall of 2008.

Before and after photos:

2. Foothill Elementary - Project improvements include a new sidewalk along the west side of 9^th Street connecting from the intersection of 9^th Street at Iris Avenue to the existing multi-use path and school playground; a marked crosswalk for the west and south crossings of 9^th Street at Iris Avenue with improved curb ramps; a widened multi-use path and new curb ramps along the east side of 9th Street between Iris and the multi-use path to the north; and improved bicycle parking. The project was completed in the fall of 2008.

Before and after photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Southern Hills Middle School - This project will construct a highly visible pedestrian crossing with curb-extensions and pedestrian ramps across Knox Drive. An eight foot wide shared-use path on the west side of Knox Drive will provide better access to the school and new bike parking will also be installed. The project is anticipated to be completed in October 2009.

Before photos:

4. Bear Creek Elementary School - This project will improve two pedestrian crossings make it easier, safer and more convenient for more students to walk and bike to Bear Creek Elementary School. At the intersection of Table Mesa and Lehigh, improvements include a raised crossing (speed hump) across the northbound right turn bypass island and a median refuge island on the south leg of the intersection, between the northbound and southbound directions of travel.

At the intersection of Darley and Lehigh, the project will construct a curb extension on the south east corner of the intersection and a median refuge island on the south leg of the intersection between the northbound and southbound directions of travel. The project is anticipated to be completed in the summer of  2010.

5. Five local Boulder schools- will benefit from a planned project to construct a sidewalk along the north side of Linden Avenue between Wonderland Hill Lane and Broadway. This project was requested by several local schools including Centennial and Casey Middle School, Foothill Elementary, Shining Mountain Waldorf and Jarrow Montessori. Planning and desig nwill begin in early 2010. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2010. For more information, contact Noreen Walsh at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 303-441-3266.

Boulder Valley School District Projects

Concurrently, the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) received almost $200,000 for education and outreach projects, including a $60,000 grant to install improved bicycle parking at 20 schools. A total of 31 schools, including 14 BVSD and four private schools in Boulder are encouraging more students to walk and bike to school safely as a result of the Safe Routes money.

Boulder schools include:

• Columbine Elementary,
• Creekside Elementary,
• Crestview Elementary,
• Eisenhower Elementary,
• Flatirons Elementary,
• Foothills Elementary,
• Bear Creek Elementary,
• Whittier Elementary,
• Southern Hills Middle School,
• Casey Middle School,
• Crestview Middle School,
• Manhattan Middle, and
• Jarrow Montessori,
• The Living School,
• Shining Mountain Waldorf School, and
• the Watershed School.

For more information, on BVSD projects, contact BVSD Student Transportation Coordinator Landon Hilliard at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 720-561-5931.

Visit Boulder Valley School District's Safe Routes Web Site

Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 November 2009 10:04