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TO: Mayor John Laesh
FROM: Jason Bauer, P.E., Director of Public Works
DATE: October 14, 2025
SUBJECT:
A Resolution financially supporting City Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects in SD129, SD131, SD204 & SD308, using primarily ward funds for any City local share.
PURPOSE:
To execute a resolution in support of the proposed Safe Routes to School projects for SD 129, 131, 204 & 308 with financial commitment.
BACKGROUND:
Safe Routes To School (SRTS) is a federal grant funding program to improve conditions for students walking/biking to school. The grant program is a reimbursable program and serves three main goals:
1. To enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school.
2. To make biking and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age;
3.To facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety, reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity (within 2 miles) of public and private elementary, middle, and high schools (grades K-12).
DISCUSSION:
City staff have identified infrastructure improvements such as elimination of sidewalk gaps & enhance crossing facilities at intersections, to provide safe and continuous routes for students to walk or bike to school, in each of the four school districts. The project scopes are subject to change pending additional coordination and are listed below:
School District 129 (Ward 6): Proposed improvements involve filling sidewalk gaps/adding new sidewalk along Hammond Ave including ADA ramps and detectable warning surfaces.
School District 131 (Wards 1 & 4): Proposed improvements involve filling sidewalk gaps/adding new sidewalk along Sheffer Rd including ADA ramps and detectable warning surfaces. Proposed improvements also include curb bumpouts and enhanced signage near Bardwell Elementary School.
School District 204 (Ward 10): Proposed improvements involve filling sidewalk gaps/adding new sidewalk along Eola Rd.
School District 308 (Ward 9): Proposed improvements involve curb bumpouts and enhanced signage along Hafenrichter Rd at the intersections of Middlebury Dr and Barrington Dr (West).
The SRTS grant program requires a City government Resolution be executed in financial support of the proposed improvements.
The grant program is federally funded at 100% (no local match required) with a funding cap of $250,000.00 and is eligible for Construction and Construction Engineering only. Preliminary Engineering and Design Engineering are not eligible for the grant and have to be 100% locally funded. Per current City practice, the Preliminary and Design Engineering (PE1 & PE2) will be funded utilizing ward funds from the respective ward the project is in. Due to timing restraints on implementation of awarded funds, preliminary engineering must be funded and begin prior to award announcement. Projects spanning multiple wards will split the preliminary and design engineering costs in proportion to the estimated construction costs. In correspondence with the alderpeople of these wards, staff has indicated that the PE1 & PE2 could cost $50-$75k. An exact dollar amount per ward is not available at this time. Each alderperson has committed starting engineering prior to the award announcement and funding the potential upper limit of these costs. The costs for PE1 & PE2 will be better estimated at a later date after the final number of SRTS applications is confirmed, and after discussing specific project processing with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
Additionally, if a project is awarded funding and moves forward, any construction costs (as currently estimated) over the awarded grant amount must be locally funded with ward funds. Any overages in construction costs beyond what is currently estimated for the application will be paid for using Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds. It may be necessary for MFT funds to also be used for Construction Engineering for cash flow purposes. Since Construction Engineering agreements are between a consultant and the local agency, the upfront costs are first paid by the City and then the federal reimbursement is requested at a later date after funds are spent.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
If this Resolution is not passed the City will be ineligible to apply for this federal funding.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff recommends execution of this resolution to proceed with project grant submittals.
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution financially supporting City Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects in SD129, SD131, SD204 & SD308, using primarily ward funds for any City local share.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City intends to improve existing infrastructure, fill sidewalk gaps and make necessary improvements and connections to enhance route safety for student bicyclists and pedestrians within the City; and
WHEREAS, IDOT/State has announced Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program call for projects-Cycle 2025; and
WHEREAS, SRTS uses a multidisciplinary approach to improve conditions which enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bike to school. SRTS makes bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, encouraging healthy/active lifestyle and facilitates planning, development and implementation of projects and activities, to improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity (within 2 mile radius) of public and private elementary, middle, and high schools (Grades K-12); and
WHEREAS, SRTS is a federal grant program, with federal participation of 100%, requiring no local match except in the case of cost overages; and
WHEREAS, SRTS has a maximum funding limit of $250,000 for one infrastructure project in each school district. These federal funds are eligible for Construction and Construction Engineering only; and
WHEREAS, SRTS grant program requires the City to provide a resolution of Financial Commitment in support of the proposed projects (one of the grant eligibility criteria) to be part of the SRTS grant application; and
WHEREAS, City staff have identified various improvements in each of the four School Districts within a 2-mile radius of the schools in School Districts 129, 131, 204 & 308 (as shown in the attached project location maps); and
WHEREAS, if the City were to be awarded the Safe Routes to School Funding (award announcements to be made in Spring 2026), the City will need to fund the cost of Preliminary and Design Engineering for each project; and
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora will fund the Preliminary and Design Engineering as needed with ward funds from the respective ward of each project; and
WHEREAS, if necessary the City will utilize Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) for cash flow purposes and to cover any overages above the initial estimates.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: The City of Aurora authorizes the Mayor to execute the Resolution in support of the identified Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grant projects in each of the School Districts (SD) - SD129, SD131, SD204 & SD308, thereby financially committing to these projects if awarded the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Grant.