Check out the updated cost estimates for infrastructure improvements!
The NJ Safe Routes to School Resource Center provides technical assistance to communities seeking to improve the safety of kids who walk and bike to school. One helpful resource available is an implementation cost estimate guide that lists cost estimates for infrastructure improvements, like bike lanes and curb ramps, and non-infrastructure improvements, like pedestrian safety campaigns and increased police presence. These cost estimates enable officials to prepare the budget that is required to receive SRTS funding for projects outlined in a School Travel Plan.
Updated estimates show some costs have decreased
In September 2017 the SRTS Resource Center received updated cost estimates for infrastructure improvements and found that the cost of many treatments has decreased since 2013, the last release of a cost estimate guide. In particular, the cost of bike lanes, crosswalks, and other pavement markings has decreased significantly alongside the cost of regular and thermoplastic paint. Improvements for bicyclists, like bike-friendly storm drains and storage shelters, and accessibility treatments, like curb ramps and detectable warning surfaces, have also seen decreases in price.
Check out what’s cheaper!
Below is a table highlighting the improvements that have decreased in cost, some significantly. For additional cost information on these and dozens more treatments, visit the complete cost estimate guide.
Type of Treatment |
Typical size |
2013 Estimated Installed Cost (Materials + Labor) |
2017 Estimated Installed Cost (Materials + Labor) |
| Pavement Markings | |||
| “School XING”, “ONLY” or 2 arrows – Paint | 20 Square Feet (SF) | $100 | $32 |
| “School XING”, “ONLY” or 2 arrows – Thermoplastic | 20 SF | $200 | $65 |
| Crosswalks | |||
| Continental style – Paint | 225 SF (200 SF in 2013) | $1,000 | $360 |
| Continental style – Thermoplastic | 225 SF (200 SF in 2013) | $2,000 |
$720 |
| Imprinted | 400 SF | $15,000 | $9,900 |
| Curb Extensions | |||
| Simple – no drainage modification required | 6′ wide, 20’ long | $7,500-$15,000 | $6,000 |
| Complex – assume drainage modifications required | 6′ wide, 20’ long | $35,000-$75,000 | $20,000 |
| Shared Use Paths | |||
| Asphalt | 10’ wide | $380/foot | $95/foot |
| Crushed stone | 10’ wide | $225/foot | $60/foot |
| Sidewalks and Accessibility | |||
| Detectable Warning Surface (assumes curb ramp already in place) | 2’ by 4’ each | $400 | $250 |
| Curb ramp | New curb and concrete (5′ deep, 15′ wide) | $7,500 | $1,500 |
| Bollards on sidewalk (typical grouping of 4 bollards) | 4′ high, steel or concrete | $4,500 – $6,000 | $3,000 |
| Designing for Bicyclists | |||
| “Bicycle-safe” stormwater drainage grates | 2’ x 4’ (2’ x 3’ in 2013) | $450 | $360 |
| Bike Route (signing per mile) | 20 signs per mile | $3,000 | $2,400 |
| Bike Symbol (Words or arrows, assume thermoplastic) | 20 SF | $200 | $60 |
| Bike lane striping (4” white thermoplastic striping) | 1 mile | $16,500-$33,000 | $8,500 |
| Colored bike lane (Green thermoplastic) | 4′ wide by 50′ long (200 SF) | $4,500 | $600 |
| Traffic Calming – Streetscaping | |||
| Street trees | each | $6,000 | $900 |