Safe Routes to School Update

Oct 08, 2025

For the last year, Trailnet has been leading a federal grant called Safe Routes to School. One year later, we’d like to provide an update to our community.

Engineering, Education, and Encouragement

Last year, Trailnet partnered with a local bike education organization to apply for a federal grant called Safe Routes to School (SRTS). Within the partnership, Trailnet is the fiscal agent for the grant, meaning we are responsible for ensuring all SRTS activities follow federal and state regulations.

The program aims to address school transportation and safety needs for students in St. Louis through three methods: 1) engineering safer streets through improved design, 2) educating kids about how they can bike and walk to school safely, and 3) encouraging students and families to consider biking or walking as a mode of transportation to school. In this proposal, Trailnet would oversee the engineering portion of the grant and manage the grant while contracting with the other organization for Earn-a-Bike and “bike bus” programs.

In August 2024, the grant was federally obligated for $349,993 over a three-year period from August 2024 through July 2027, and Trailnet received approval to begin work. $172,174, or just under half of the grant, was budgeted to reimburse Earn-a-Bike programs and support for encouragement activities.

Soon after the funds were awarded, Trailnet planning staff began conducting walk audits, collecting baseline data about existing conditions around the schools, and engaging the school community at City Garden Montessori. In support of the proposed school mobility plans, Trailnet started working on a job description to post in January 2025.

Federal Funding Uncertainty

Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, our progress was delayed when the White House issued numerous conflicting executive orders that threatened a variety of federal grants. Along with numerous other nonprofits across the country, Trailnet could not immediately confirm that the Safe Routes to School grant would be honored, and headlines indicated that similar programs had been cancelled around the country. As a result, we decided to temporarily defer hiring a new employee amidst that uncertainty.

Back on track: School Mobility Plan with City Garden Montessori

Though this delay put Trailnet behind on our initial timeline for creating school mobility plans, our team was able to start community engagement with the City Garden Montessori community.

*Trailnet staff investigate a pothole during a walk-audit.*

*A posterboard displays a map of the area around City Garden Montessori with notes from community members.*

We joined the City Garden Block Party to collect feedback from families about the barriers they face when walking or biking to school. We also conducted a walk audit, documenting existing barriers and opportunities around the school.

By May, we had received confirmation that federally obligated grants were safe, so we re-launched the hiring process for a Community Mobility Planner. We hired a Community Mobility Planner at the end of July.

Now, Trailnet is on track to complete a comprehensive School Mobility Plan for City Garden Montessori by the end of the year.

Next year, we intend to work with two new schools while we continue to gather community feedback on the City Garden plan. We’ve begun to lay the groundwork for those plans by conducting walk-audits around additional schools.

Bike Education and Encouragement

While most of the education and encouragement components of the project have been outsourced, Trailnet hosted two bike safety rodeos in conjunction with National Night Out in the Kingsville East neighborhood to serve students at Hickey Elementary. Our team also provided planning and implementation support for several bike buses to City Garden.

*50 kids enjoyed Trailnet’s bike rodeo at the 2024 National Night Out at Hickey Elementary. Trailnet staff helped make sure this student’s helmet fit correctly.*

*City Garden Montessori walking and biking school buses were a hit! Above, a Trailnet team member walks with a student along Tower Grove Avenue.*

Financial Update

The federal Safe Routes to School program is funded through the Federal Highway Administration and administered by MoDOT’s Local Public Agency program. The grant is part of the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). So far, Trailnet has been reimbursed $22,405 for community engagement and community planning work to create the transportation mobility plan for City Garden Montessori and to conduct existing-conditions analysis and mapping for several other schools in the City of St. Louis. In addition, Trailnet has facilitated $52,212 in reimbursement to the organization that is leading the bike education and encouragement programs in accordance with the grant. Trailnet is proud to be the fiscal agent for these critical programs.

The federal grant only reimburses 80% of the expenses. Thankfully, Dana Brown Charitable Trust, General Motors, and individual donors stepped up to provide additional funds to cover the gap and expand our impact.

What’s Next

Trailnet continues to focus on where we can have the greatest impact — fighting for streets that are designed to slow down cars and prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users, including students. We have a strong track record of turning community-based plans into on-the-ground change. The Connecting St. Louis plan has resulted in transformational projects, and our School Transportation Plan for Froebel Elementary helped influence the City of St. Louis to build its first Calm Street on Louisiana Avenue. We hope that the plans we co-create with school communities will drive similar change to improve the lives of students and families for generations to come.