Fresno County approves $6 million for safer school routes near 20 campuses

Fresno County families with students at 20 campuses will get safer walking and biking routes after the Fresno County Transportation Authority approved $6 million in Measure C money for seven school-safety projects.

The vote, taken April 8, directs funding to Selma, Parlier, Sanger, Reedley, Fowler, Mendota and unincorporated Fresno County, where many children still reach school on foot or by bike. More than half of the projects will replace dirt pathways with pavement, a basic upgrade that can mean the difference between a muddy shoulder and a usable route to class.

The biggest awards went to projects in Parlier, Sanger, Reedley, Fowler and Mendota, each receiving about $906,587 or $906,588. Selma will get $644,800 for Rose Avenue and Olive Avenue crosswalk work, and the County of Fresno will receive $822,263 for the Cantua Elementary pedestrian pathway. Together, the projects are aimed at safer crossings, better sidewalks, curb work and traffic calming near campuses.

The funding package grew out of a Measure C amendment approved June 18, 2025, that created a one-year Safe Routes to School program for rural jurisdictions and the County of Fresno. Fresno Council of Governments identified the program in 2024 from unspent money in the 2006 Measure C extension, then opened a competitive call for projects on July 11, 2025, before extending the deadline to Oct. 14, 2025.

Demand far outstripped supply. Fresno COG received 18 applications totaling more than $17 million, nearly triple the $6 million available. Under the program rules, each project could receive up to $1.5 million and had to serve students, parents, caregivers, teachers and staff within one-half mile of a school site.

The approved projects include the City of Selma, City of Parlier, City of Sanger, City of Reedley, City of Fowler, City of Mendota and the County of Fresno. The money is part of a broader transportation tax that voters approved in November 2006, and county materials say the current Measure C program expires in June 2027.

The vote gives Fresno County a narrow window to turn leftover transportation money into visible safety improvements before the sales tax program sunsets. For families walking past dirt shoulders, missing sidewalks and unsafe crossings, the promise is simple: fewer daily hazards on the way to school.