Safe Routes to School E-News is a monthly email newsletter published by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, a fast-growing network of non-profit organizations, government agencies and professional groups that are working to set goals, share best practices, secure funding, and provide detailed policy input to implementing agencies for advancing the Safe Routes to School national movement.
Issue #2
January 4, 2006
In this issue:
1. FHWA releases guidance on Safe Routes to School
2. SRTS National Partnership Resources for “Getting Started Locally”3. Strategic Highway Safety Plans being developed in States
4. News from the States
5. School Wellness Policies must be adopted by Fall 2006 6. National Conference of State Legislatures: Resources on SRTS bills
7. Full Scholarship Opportunity to the University of Colorado 8. Help Publicize the Safe Routes to School National Partnership
9. Send us Your Safe Routes to School News: saferoutes@bikesbelong.org Please keep us posted with news for your local, state and national SRTS work
1. FHWA releases guidance on Safe Routes to School http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/srtsguidance.htm
On January 3, 2005, the Federal Highway Administration released its guidance on Safe Routes to School. The 23 page document can be found on the web at: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/srtsguidance.htm
The website states, “Since this is a new program, additional guidance will be provided throughout the first few years of the program as questions are asked, clarifications are needed, experienced is gained, and various approaches are tried and evaluated. To provide your feedback, send your comments to tim.arnade@fhwa.dot.gov.”
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership send our thanks to the Federal Highway Administration and its SRTS Program Manager Tim Arnade for utilizing a public process to create the guidance, and for getting the recommendations out so quickly. Many states have been waiting to develop their programs until after the guidance was released, so this guidance provides a great launch for the start of Safe Routes to School in all 50 states in 2006!
2. SRTS National Partnership Resources for “Getting Started Locally”
http://bikesbelong.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=294
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership continues to be asked by community members, parents, and advocates for information and resources on how to work with cities and school administrations on developing Safe Routes to School programs. To help, we developed a short “Getting Started” primer and Powerpoint presentation which can be downloaded and customized for local use. Find the documents at: http://bikesbelong.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=294
3. Strategic Highway Safety Plans being developed in States
This is an avenue for additional Safe Routes to School funds
Under SAFETEA-LU, there is a federal requirement that each State Department of Transportation (DOT) must develop a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The SHSP is a major part of the core Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).
Safe Routes to School is an eligible expenditure for the SHSP, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership encourages local and state advocates to get involved with the SHSP process at the State level to make the most of this opportunity. We suggest that you start by contacting your State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator to learn who at the DOT is managing the SHSP process. The approved plans must be adopted by October 1, 2006. You can find a list of the State Bike/Ped Coordinators at: http://www.bikewalk.org/contacts_links/state_bikeped_coord.htm The federal guidance for the development of the SHSP is at: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/toc.htm
4. News from the States
Update on our state survey, Colorado, Illinois, and California
In December 2005, the SRTS National Partnership received survey responses back from 12 states regarding our inquiries about program implementation. The sampling indicated a wide array of readiness for Safe Routes to School, with about half of the states having hired their SRTS Coordinators. Those states that are furthest along have active coalitions of health, bicycle and pedestrian groups working together with their State DOTs to provide input on program development.
The State of Colorado appears to be the first to roll out application guidelines for Safe Routes to School. Deadlines for the infrastructure and non-infrastructure grant proposals are due on February 15, 2006. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is pleased that Colorado separated the infrastructure and non-infrastructure project applications, as this was a key recommendations in our SRTS guiding principles. You can read the Colorado guidelines at: http://www.dot.state.co.us/BikePed/SafeRoutesToSchool.htm
In Illinois, since July 2005, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation has convened the Northeast Illinois Safe Routes to School Task Force, a group of regional stakeholders interested in the issue of Illinois' new SR2S program. Their first goal was to create a set of locally-derived recommendations for the Illinois DOT to compliment the national guidelines. You can view their recommendations for the Illinois SRTS program at: http://www.biketraffic.org/downloads/SR2S
In California, since the year 2000, State legislation has required that one third of federal safety funds go to Safe Routes to School programs each year. While $22 million/year for SRTS capital projects has been distributed over the past five years, the passage of SAFETEA-LU has changed everything as the State legislation now points to an obsolete code reference. Thus, the future of additional state funding (to supplement the new federal SRTS funds), lies with the development of the State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). Partnership member groups including the California Bicycle Coalition, California Walks, America Walks, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, and Walk Sacramento are hard at work with this process, attending Caltrans meetings to make the case for Safe Routes to School, as the federal funds being received over then next four years will be substantially less than the $22 million/year that the state has utilized for the past five years. Some good news for California, however, is that during the 2006 fiscal year (a transition year for the development of the SHSP), the 1/3 rule will still apply, providing $43 million for SRTS projects statewide.
5. School Wellness Policies must be adopted by fall 2006
Get SRTS included as a physical activity strategy in local schools
The National PTA, a member organization with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, has let us know that all schools that receive federal funding for their school lunch programs must put a Local School Wellness Policy in place by the start of their 2006-2007 school year. This requirement is a result of the Childhood Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. The School Wellness Policies must include strategies for improved nutrition and physical activity.
This new school requirement provides an excellent avenue to introduce Safe Routes to School as a physical activity strategy for schools across America. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership encourages our partner member groups to publicize this opportunity so that more local parents can get involved. Our new Powerpoint on Safe Routes to School is an excellent resource for school advocates to use when introducing the SRTS concept to School Wellness Committees. You can find the Powerpoint at: http://bikesbelong.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=294, at the end of the text.
6. National Conference of State Legislatures: Resources on SRTS bills
Search their databases and make sure bills from your state are included
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues – including Safe Routes to School. NCSL is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies, and they help to craft legislation.
The NCSL website provides an opportunity to keep current on policy concerns and perform comprehensive searches on key public policy issues, legislation from across the country, statutes, constitutions, audits and other legislative and historical documents.
NCSL has two legislative databases with information relevant to Safe Routes to School. The Traffic Safety database can be accessed at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncsl/ and the Healthy Community Design database can be accessed at http://www.ncsl.org/programs/environ/healthycommunity/healthycommunity_bills.cfm. NCSL staff will be tracking safe routes to school legislation during the 2006 session. If a bill from your state is not included in the database, please email douglas.shinkle@ncsl.org.
7. Full Scholarship Opportunity to the University of Colorado
For Ph.D. candidate researching children, youth and environments
The Ph.D. Program in Design and Planning in the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado will provide full funding, including tuition, to a qualified applicant seeking to undertake research on some aspect of children, youth and environments. The College hosts the journal Children, Youth and Environments <http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/> and houses the Children, Youth and Environments Center for Design and Research, in whose activities the applicant will be expected to be involved.
For more information, contact:
Willem van Vliet-
Director, PhD Program
College of Architecture and Planning
University of Colorado,
Boulder, CO 80309-0314
USA
Tel: 303 492-5015
Fax: 303 492-6163
Email: Willem.vanvliet@colorado.edu
8. Help Publicize the Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Logos available for use at: http://bikesbelong.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=274
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership now includes more than 120 active partner members! We hope that you will publicize your affiliation with our growing coalition through including a copy of our logo on your website, with a live link to our website: http://bikesbelong.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=249
Membership with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership is free. Please help us to continue to expand our diversity and reach by encouraging other organizations, businesses, professional groups, and government agencies to join us. Please forward this issue of Safe Routes to School E-News to your lists.
9. Send us Your Safe Routes to School News: saferoutes@bikesbelong.org
Please keep us posted with news for your local, state and national SRTS work
We want to hear from you! Please keep us posted on news, activities and successes with Safe Routes to School in your state, your county, your city, and at your school, as well as national efforts. We’ll publish some of the news in this monthly email publication. Other items may be utilized on our website. While we can’t publicize everything, all news received will help us to keep informed about progress with Safe Routes to School nationwide, so that we can better assist communities and states in getting their programs started.
Help Expand the Partnership!
Membership with the Partnership is free. Please encourage other organizations, schools, businesses and government agencies to join the Safe Routes to School National Partnership at: http://bikesbelong.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=252
Initial funding for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership has been provided by the Bikes Belong Coalition.
For More Information Contact
Deb Hubsmith, Coordinator
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
saferoutes@bikesbelong.org
www.bikesbelong.org
(415) 454-7430
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