More than $4.2 million in competitive grant funding is available over the next three years to support regional bicycle and pedestrian facilities and implement safety improvements near schools in South Coast communities.
 
The program, known as the Measure A Safe Routes to School, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, aims to expand and improve the South Coast’s regional bicycle and pedestrian facilities network.
 
Measure A funding is available for use in the cities of Carpinteria, Goleta, Santa Barbara, and unincorporated South Coast communities.

School districts, universities, colleges, transit agencies, and Caltrans are eligible to compete for funds, with a city or county sponsor.

A call for projects and programs began Feb. 20 with pre-applications due March 6 and the final application deadline is April 1.

“The Measure A program has delivered safer streets and better access to schools, funding 95 projects in the South Coast since 2008 with over $14.9 million invested,” said Marjie Kirn, executive director for SBCAG. “This program has helped make walkability and bike-friendly improvements a reality for schools and their surrounding areas.”

“The majority of the city of Santa Barbara’s streets capital budget goes to pavement maintenance, and we depend on grant funding for any safety and active transportation projects,” said Jessica Grant, supervising transportation planner at city of Santa Barbara.

“The Measure A grant program has been critical for funding many of the city’s school safety projects and bike/ped projects and planning efforts since the program’s inception,” Grant said.

“In the last grant cycle, we were able to construct two critical multiuse paths, completing major gaps in our bike infrastructure along the regional COAST bike route and route to Santa Barbara Junior High,” she said.

A scoring committee made up of one representative each from: the cities of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, and Goleta; Santa Barbara County; MOVE Santa Barbara County; Santa Barbara MTD; SBCAG; and Caltrans will evaluate and recommend projects for funding to the SBCAG Board of Directors by this summer.
 
For more about the program, contact SBCAG by email at info@sbcag.org; phone, 805-961-8900; or online at www.sbcag.org.

Voter passage in November 2008 of the Road Repair, Traffic Relief and Transportation Safety Measure (Measure A), will provide about $1 billion for transportation needs over 30 years within Santa Barbara County, from 2010-40.

The dedicated sales tax revenue generated will help leverage and match an estimated $0.5 billion in state and federal funds. Measure A went into effect and revenues began to be collected on April 1, 2010. Funds will be spent in accordance with the Investment Plan that was part of the measure.
 
The Investment Plan calls for the North County and South Coast to each receive 43.3 percent of revenues. The Measure A program includes $13 million for the South Coast Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Program and $13 million for the South Coast Safe Routes to School Program over the 30-year life of the Measure A program.