Show Me the Money:
Implementation Costs
The overall cost of your campaign will depend on the goal of the
campaign, how long you will need to work in order to be successful,
and other factors unique to your situation. Estimating the cost of
your program will be an important part of developing your community's
solution.
No doubt about it--transportation improvements are expensive.
According to the Pedestrian Facilities
Users Guide: Providing Safety and Mobility published by Federal
Highway Administration in March 2002, these are some of the costs of
pedestrian infrastructure:
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Sidewalks Costs of concrete curbs and sidewalks is approximately
$15/linearfoot for curbing and $11/square foot for walkways.
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Curb
ramps Cost of curb ramps is approximately $800 to $1,500 per curb
ramp (new or retrofitted). |
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Crosswalk Cost may vary between $100
for a regular striped crosswalk, to $3,000 for a patterned concrete
crosswalk. |
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Pedestrian overpass or underpasses Cost may vary
between $500,000 and $4 million, depending on site characteristics.
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Since transportation improvements are so expensive, funding for
transportation is one of the largest and most consistent parts of
state and local budgets. But getting your project funded might still
be difficult. The more you know in advance about the potential costs,
the better.
Often the timing of your request can be critical. For instance, if
a street is being repaved or a new building is being built,
improvements to streets and sidewalks are much easier to incorporate.
For street and sidewalk repair, check with your local City Manager or
Public Works Department for details on what's planned for your
community.
Elected officials (such as City Council members) and their staff
are a tremendous source of information on upcoming projects and
funding sources. They may also have small discretionary funds to
spend in their districts on neighborhood priorities, which can include
traffic signals or crosswalks.
Check in with other city departments, since they may also have
discretionary budgets that could be used for your proposal. For
instance, the city of Oakland, California has several such
opportunities:
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The Oakland Pedestrian Safety Project is a city department that works
to improve pedestrian safety and access. OPSP also has a mini-grants
program to fund pedestrian safety projects. This has funded pedestrian
safety education, advocacy, art, and school safety patrols
materials. 510-637-0191, http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/opsp.html
| | > | Oakland's Community and Economic Development
Agency (CEDA)has a Redevelopment division that oversees the city's
redevelopment areas. Redevelopment areas are controlled by project
area committees (PACs) that decide how to spent tax money on projects
within the area. PACs have wide discretion in making investments and
may have resources available for streetscape projects such as trees,
benches, and lighting. To learn more about redevelopment areas,
contact CEDA at 510.238.3015, or www.business2oakland.com/main/redevelopment.htm
| | > | Oakland's Cultural Arts Department has grants
for parades and street festivals, as well as public art, including
murals. Community groups that are not a 501(c)(3) non-profit may need
to have a fiscal sponsor. (510) 238-2103 http://www.oaklandculturalarts.org
| | > | Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization (NCR)
has several programs that fund streetscape and business improvements
in Oakland, including façade improvements, public art, and pedestrian
improvements. For example, NCR funded planters, banners, and
storefront improvements in the Temescal business district. (510)
238-3699 http://www.oaklandnet.com/business/smallbus/ncrp.html
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You may want to look for similar opportunities in your community,
or look at these other grant programs:
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EPA Environmental Justice Grants fund community-based
organizations for planning and projects addressing issues of
environmental and/or public health in low-income communities of color.
http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/environmentaljustice/grants/
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Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are federal
funds given to Oakland's Housing and Community Development Department
for housing, neighborhood services, and economic development
projects. An advisory board reviews and recommends proposals. See the
CDBG tool in this toolkit for more information.
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Grant programs available in California:
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Caltrans Safe Routes to School (SR2S) grants go to cities,
often with community partners, for street improvements around schools,
such as improved crosswalks, traffic signals or signs, and bike lanes.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LocalPrograms/saferoute2.htm
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Caltrans Community Based Transportation Planning grants (CBTP),
Environmental Justice (EJ) Planning Grants, and Environmental
Enhancement and Mitigation Program (EEMP) fund
neighborhood-based transportation planning and walkable streets
projects. (916) 651-8204 (CBTP), (916) 651-6889 (EJ) http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/grants.htm
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Grant programs available in the Bay Area:
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Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC): Transportation for
Livable Communities (TLC) program provides both planning grants
and capital grants to cities and non-profit organizations. For
example, TLC funded a transportation plan for the Acorn-Prescott
neighborhood of West Oakland, and later funded elements of the plan,
including bike lanes, corner bulbouts, patterned crosswalks and
plantings. See the TLC tool in this toolkit for more information.
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