1. (a) Project eligibility. The Safe Routes to School Program is a construction program designed to improve the bicycle and pedestrian safety of school age children. Projects may be submitted by political subdivisions as defined in this subchapter.

2. (b) Types of projects. Projects eligible to receive funding under this program include the following categories or improvements:

   1. (1) sidewalk improvements such as new sidewalks, widened sidewalks, sidewalk gap closures, sidewalk repairs, curb cuts for ramps, and the construction of curbs and gutters;
   2. (2) pedestrian/bicycle crossing improvements such as new or upgraded traffic signals, crosswalks, median refuges, pavement markings, traffic signs, pedestrian and/or bicycle over-crossings and under-crossings, flashing beacons, traffic signal phasing extensions, bicycle sensitive actuation devices, pedestrian activated signal upgrades, and sight distance improvements;
   3. (3) on-street bicycle facilities such as new or upgraded bike lanes, widening outside lanes and/or roadway shoulders, geometric improvements, turning lanes, channelization and roadway realignment, traffic signs, and pavement markings;
   4. (4) traffic diversion improvements including improved pick-up/drop-off areas, separation of pedestrians and bicycles from vehicular traffic adjacent to school facilities, and traffic diversion away from school zones or designated routes to a school;
   5. (5) off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities including exclusive multi-use bicycle and/or pedestrian trails and pathways; and
   6. (6) traffic calming measures for off-system roads such as roundabouts, traffic circles, curb extensions at intersections that reduce curb-to-curb roadway travel widths, center islands, full and half-street closures, and other speed reduction techniques.

3. (c) Project location.

   1. (1) Eligible projects may be located on or off the designated state highway system; however, candidate projects must be located on public property.
   2. (2) Eligible projects must be located within a two-mile radius of a school.
4. (d) Required local contribution. Political subdivisions awarded funding under this program must provide a local contribution towards the total cost of the project when the project is located on municipal or county right-of-way. This requirement is consistent with regulations governing federal funds.

5. (e) Eligible project boundaries.

   1. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, each project application must be in connection with a single school campus.

   2. (2) Applications covering multiple school sites will be accepted for projects in which:

      1. (A) similar improvements are being made at each school site; and
      2. (B) the school sites contained in the application are located within a two-mile radius of each other.
   3. (3) One master project application for an entire school district covering multiple school sites and multiple categories of improvements will not be accepted.

Source Note:The provisions of this §25.502 adopted to be effective December 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 9917.