Milpitas to receive $2.9 million in federal funding for safe school routes

Milpitas wants to make walking and biking to school safer for students, and is getting millions in federal dollars to help make it happen.

The city has been awarded $2.9 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program, which funds regional, local and tribal initiatives to prevent roadway deaths and injuries. A federal infrastructure law established the program in 2022, pledging $5 billion in appropriated funds until 2026.

Milpitas submitted its grant application in May, with a focus on enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety around their public schools. The project will upgrade visibility, signage and pedestrian crossings at local intersections and address other existing or potential safety concerns along the school route network. The Milpitas Unified School District serves more than 10,000 students across their 15 schools.

“We are committed to securing the necessary resources to make our city’s streets safer for everyone,” Public Works Director Christian Di Renzo in a statement. “This is just the beginning, and we look forward to further
opportunities to enhance our Safe Routes to School program.”

City Manager Ned Thomas called the grant a “win” for the community, and an opportunity that will ultimately create “safer neighborhoods for students and residents alike.”

In addition to the SS4A grant, the Public Works Department also submitted funding applications for the statewide and regional Active Transportation Program grant programs, which both focus on improving school routes within disadvantage communities. The city hopes to receive around $8 million if both grants are approved in December.

This isn’t the first time Milpitas has asked the federal government for assistance. In March, the Milpitas Unified School District was awarded a $500,000 grant from Rep. Ro Khanna’s Office to support school safety at their Innovation Campus, a newly constructed site which houses educational programs including the district’s adult education, early childhood education and the Milpitas and Calaveras Hills High School extension program. This grant money goes towards installing a traffic light and a new sidewalk along Calaveras Boulevard, which will cost $3.35 million.

Originally Published: September 12, 2024 at 12:40 p.m.

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