LA n Sync, with assistance from the Los Angeles County Active Transportation Collaborative, endeavors to support up to five applications to the Active Transportation Program (ATP) from Los Angeles County with grant writing and other technical assistance to support the submission of competitive applications. Apply by March 18th to be considered for this great opportunity!
As the state’s largest dedicated source of funding for safe routes to school and other walking and bicycling projects, the ATP is a highly competitive program that funds active transportation projects, programs and planning throughout the state, with special emphasis on disadvantaged communities.
Los Angeles County has extraordinary need for these funds:
- 19 percent of all trips in Los Angeles County are taken on foot or by bike, including 34 percent of all trips to school.
- Tragically, 39 percent of all roadway fatalities are people walking and bicycling.
- Los Angeles has not traditionally invested in these modes: only one percent of transportation funding currently goes to walking and bicycling.
The 2014 Active Transportation Program (ATP) call for projects, with over $360 million in funds available statewide, provides a tremendous opportunity to impact these trends and unify the Los Angeles region around the need to invest strategically in safe routes to school, complete streets, access to transit and many other exciting projects that improve the walkability and bikeability of the Los Angeles region and bring partners together to support implementation of these projects.
Have a great idea for a ATP project but need help with developing a winning proposal? Apply for support from LA n Sync by March 18th and increase the chances that your community’s project gets funded.
FAQ:
What is LA n Sync offering for potential applicants?
At a minimum, LA n Sync will provide successful applicants, who must be based in Los Angeles County, with grant writing and other technical assistance. LA n Sync will also help strategize and identify financial assistance (such as local match for projects) or other support to develop strong project ideas that will be competitive for ATP funding. LA n Sync may connect potential applicants with each other to form partnerships that together are more competitive for state funding.
What criteria will LA n Sync use to select applicants for assistance?
LA n Sync seeks to support innovative projects, new partnerships, projects that have regional significance (either by involving multiple jurisdictions or piloting innovative treatments), applications from disadvantaged communities and projects with a clear and compelling need. LA n Sync is looking for competitive projects from applicants that could most benefit from grant writing support or other resources. LA n Sync wants to assist applicants that have excellent project ideas, but may have struggled to express them in a competitive grant application. LA n Sync hopes that Los Angeles County will produce many competitive applications to the ATP, with or without assistance, and will give an extra boost to those that will gain the most value from additional resources.
LA n Sync will consider the following factors in selecting the proposals it will offer assistance to:
- Projects that are innovative or creatively respond to local needs
- Projects that advance the active transportation efforts of regional agencies
- Projects that emphasize links to schools and/or transit
- Projects that enhance public health and improve safety
- Projects that serve disadvantaged communities (defined by ATP guidelines), particularly low-resource jurisdictions with active participation by civic groups and other stakeholder participation
- Projects that involve partnerships among public agencies and/or non-profit organizations
- Projects that have demonstrated capacity to build strategic alliances between key agencies
- Projects that consider social barriers to walking and bicycling
- Projects that are cost-effective
- Projects that will prepare the region to be competitive in future ATP funding cycles
What is the definition of a disadvantaged community?
The ATP program defines disadvantaged communities by the following criteria:
- The median household income is less than 80 percent of the statewide median based on the most current census tract level data from the American Community Survey. Data is available at: http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
- An area identified as among the most disadvantaged 10 percent in the state according to latest versions of the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) scores. Scores are available at: http://oehha.ca.gov/ej/ces11.html
- At least 75 percent of public school students in the project area are eligible to receive free or reduced- price meals under the National School Lunch Program. Safe Routes to School projects must be within 2 miles of a school and directly benefit students at the identified school. Data is available at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sd/sd/filessp.asp
What information is needed for my agency to apply for assistance?
We recognize that most agencies have not yet selected or scoped projects to apply for ATP funding. We ask that you provide as much information as you have available and, if selected, we will work with you to scope your project idea into a competitive application.
When are applications for LA n Sync assistance due?
The ATP call for projects opens on March 21st. To provide the maximum amount of time for assistance, LA n Sync requests interested applicants to fill out this form no later than March 18th. After initial screening, successful applicants will need to fill out a Request for Support (RFS) from LA n Sync.
Applications selected for support from LA n Sync will exemplify the narrative of Los Angeles as a region that is increasingly embracing Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, and efforts that improve walking and bicycling conditions and reflect the county’s geographic and cultural diversity, and demonstrate collaboration among partners to leverage and implement funds for the region.
What if I have additional questions?
Contact Eric Bruins at eric@la-bike.org or (213) 629-2142, ext. 127, or Jessica Meaney at jessica@saferoutespartnership.org or (213) 210-8136 with any additional questions about the ATP or applying for assistance from LA n Sync.
About the Los Angeles County Active Transportation Collaborative:
The Safe Routes Partnership (Safe Routes Partnership) and Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) are working together with stakeholders from around Los Angeles County to build communities that are better places to walk, bike, and access transit. Through the Los Angeles County Active Transportation Collaborative, the Safe Routes Partnership and LACBC support improved transportation policy priorities, including transportation finance, equity, data collection and performance measures. The Los Angeles County Active Transportation Collaborative is partnering with LA n Sync to support increased funding for active transportation in Los Angeles County by competing in the state’s new Active Transportation Program (ATP).
About LA n Sync:
LA n Sync provides a platform to unite the Los Angeles region in pursuit of funding opportunities and to build partnerships across the public, private and philanthropic sector. LA n Sync was created to ensure that the Los Angeles region gets every funding dollar it needs and deserves. But LA n Sync is about much more than dollars and cents. It’s about finding new ways to meet Los Angeles County’s ongoing challenges and finding new approaches to improve the quality of life, in order to make a great region even greater.