Call for Proposals: Plan and Implement Community – Based Pedestrian Safety Activities

Want to hold a pedestrian safety event? There's a grant for that!

Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) seeks to partner with community organizations (Partner Organizations) to lead pedestrian safety activities on location at two (2) BCDOT events, listed below:  

  • Carroll Park, May or June 2023 

  • Liberty Heights Ave near BCCC, May or June 2023 

  • Potential pop up during Bike to Work Week 2023

Each of these events will be organized and run by BCDOT staff, while Partner Organizations will be expected to plan and run complementary activities related to bicycle safety. Partner Organization(s) selected will be paid up to $500 for each event, which will include providing any needed materials and facilitating takedown and cleanup, in addition to event planning and staffing. These materials could include:  

  • A table and/or tent, water, refreshments, and cleaning supplies  

  • Any signs or educational materials 

Eligible Activities  
Eligible event activities could include any programming that aims to directly improve the safety of people walking, ideally by providing education and information both to people who regularly walk, and to people who drive, and thus regularly interact with people walking. Activities could cover topics such as:   

  • How to walk audit, identify and/or report pedestrian safety hazards using 311, and/or how to request traffic calming and other safety improvements. Any walking routes or audits should consider intersections where interventions are planned, which have high crash rates, or a significant number of 311 requests. DOT can provide relevant data. 

  • Teaching the types and benefits of different traffic calming treatments, including through the installation of pop-up facilities or temporary art 

  • Any activities should increase roadway safety for people walking by teaching how to identify pedestrian hazards, how to walk or drive with pedestrian safety in mind, or laws related to pedestrian safety 

Any activities should increase roadway safety by bringing more awareness of safe routes and teaching attendees about laws and personal safety choices for travel by bike, or for sharing the road with people on bikes.  
 
Activity Expectations  
Activities should be specific to the culture, landmarks, and infrastructure at the event location. For example:  

  • Group stops should point out local landmarks or areas the community would like to make more accessible. For example, groups may walk through or discuss “desire paths” which are frequently traveled but lack infrastructure, or point out “desire lines”, which can denote desired walkways that are impassible due to physical impediments. 

  • Safety talks and all communication should be culturally sensitive. 

Partner Organizations are expected to run their activities for the full duration of the BCDOT event:  

  • The organization will be expected to manage the activity with little support from BCDOT  

  • A minimum of two staff members should be present at each event to allow for breaks without leaving the activities unattended  

Eligible Partner Organizations  
To be eligible as a Partner Organization, an organization must:  

  • Be a 501(c) 3, 501(c) 4, or business registered in the State of Maryland 

  • Be in good tax standing in order to register in Baltimore City’s Citybuy portal 

  • Have at least annual programming with the community where the pop-up will occur 

BCDOT will award funding up to two (2) organizations. Please submit all proposals by April 4th, 2023! 

Click here to apply