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CT DOT Safe Routes to School coordinator urges towns to use microgrants, education and walk/bike events
Summary
Bridgette Moriarty, Connecticut DOT’s Safe Routes to School state coordinator, asked towns to use the program’s education, walk audits and technical assistance and noted school‑area projects often receive priority for certain federal and state grant programs.
Bridgette Moriarty, Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School state coordinator, briefed the committee on the state Safe Routes to School program and related active‑transportation supports.
“Safe Routes to School is encouragement, enforcement, evaluation and engineering — and education is the centerpiece,” Moriarty said, summarizing the program’s five‑E approach and the program’s equity focus. She told the committee Connecticut’s program has provided technical assistance, school walk audits, bike education and outreach and that schools may qualify for higher priority in Transportation Alternatives (TAP) funding when projects are located in the vicinity of schools.
Moriarty described several education and encouragement activities that towns can request at no cost, including in‑school bike/scooter training, helmet fittings and bike‑bus events. She said 55 Connecticut schools registered for Walk/Bike/Roll to School Days in May or October of the year reported to the committee. She also highlighted successful local events — an East Hartford bike bus led by a physical‑education teacher and other district activities — and said DOT has guides and curriculum to support towns.
On funding, Moriarty noted the state does not provide infrastructure funding directly through Safe Routes to School but that projects near schools often fare better for TAP, carbon reduction, and CCGP (Connecticut’s Community Connectivity Grant Program) awards; she urged towns to coordinate local education and audits with grant applications. NVCOG staff added that Waterbury recently received funding to acquire a large number of bikes (presenters referenced 1,400 bikes) to distribute to schools.
Moriarty asked municipalities and school districts to reach out if they want in‑person trainings, audits, or technical assistance; she provided contact information and said program materials and an interactive map are available on the DOT website.
