Safe Routes Matters, October/November 2007

In this Issue:

1st Safe Routes to School National Conference held in Michigan

The National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership presented the 1st Safe Routes to School National Conference, November 5–7, in Dearborn, Michigan.

Attended by a sell-out crowd of 400 people from around the U.S., the conference included Safe Routes to School local practitioners from a variety of disciplines including law enforcement, education, government, transportation, engineering and others.

Hosted by the Michigan Fitness Foundation, the meeting presented an opportunity for those interested in the health and safety of children to explore aspects of the Safe Routes to School program and other variables that can improve the wellness of schoolchildren. Conference-goers could attend sessions on topics such as walking school buses, promotions, data collection and program evaluation, and more. The conference also addressed needs among urban, suburban and rural settings, allowing for opportunity to address a variety of topics and interests among attendees. The National Center for Safe Routes to School also piloted a new training course at the conference for local program coordinators.

In addition to support for the conference, the National Center for Safe Routes to School provided a total of $20,000 in stipend funding to assist Safe Routes to School practitioners with travel expenses in order to attend the conference. The stipend is designed specifically to encourage local program champions who do not have other funding to support travel to the conference.

To read more about conference workshop offerings, visit www.saferoutesmichigan.org/confsched.htm.

Michigan Department of Transportation named 2007 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award recipient

States throughout the U.S. continue to show that the Safe Routes to School program is experiencing growth and success as more children are introduced to the benefits of walking and bicycling to school safely. In recognition of the quick and effective implementation of the Safe Routes to School program, the National Center for Safe Routes to School awarded the 2007 James L. Oberstar Award to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

"The National Center is very pleased to honor Michigan's Department of Transportation and the hard work of countless partners to get the Michigan SRTS Program quickly up and running, and with processes in place to maximize sustained successes," said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

The Michigan SRTS Program demonstrated a number of key program elements that allowed them to lay the groundwork for effective program development. MDOT first established a SRTS Handbook, providing tools and guidance to schools planning SRTS strategies. Along with partner organizations and various subcontractors, MDOT is also creating a number of specialized educational modules for specific program participants such as urban and disabled children, who may face special challenges surrounding walking and bicycling to school. Recognizing the need for program support, they also established training and technical assistance programs for schools completing the planning process.

Currently, 60 percent of Michigan's counties have a total of 256 registered schools that are in various stages of completing the planning process. Registered schools become the pool of applicants for State funds and their action plans are the basis for projects for which they request funding. MDOT maintains an open call for applications with no deadline for submittal, allowing each school to proceed at its own pace.

"State transportation departments are also about connecting communities and the Safe Routes to School program is affording our agencies the ability to bring neighbors and neighborhoods closer together through healthy lifestyle choices," said John Horsley, director, AAHSTO.

The award is named for Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) to honor his dedication to America's school children as the pioneer for the National Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program. Oberstar is the current chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and sponsored the federal Safe Routes to School legislation that strives to create safe settings where more parents and children can walk and bicycle to school.

Michigan received the award at a news conference in Washington, D.C. on October 30. Chairman Oberstar and Lauren Marchetti, director of the NCSRTS, presented the award to the Michigan Department of Transportation and Mike Eberlein, Michigan Safe Routes to School state coordinator.

For more information on the James L. Oberstar Award and to hear greetings and comments from Chairman Oberstar, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/news_room/oberstar_award/

2007 International Walk to School Day marks record year

Children celebrated the 11th year of International Walk to School Day in record numbers with 2730 registered schools, and Walk to School events taking place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Schools across the U.S. held a variety of different activities on Walk to School Day from bike rodeos to fun contests and activities in the classroom like puzzles and poster contests. Registered event organizers could also download a variety of resources from the Walk to School Web site such as banners and stickers to be used for their events.

Walk to School Day began in the U.S. with one school in Chicago in 1997 and has grown to more than 5,000 schools in the U.S. Worldwide, this year an estimated 4 million families and community leaders participated in 42 countries.

To view the names of registered schools that participated in Walk to School Day in the U.S., please visit www.walktoschool.org/who/index.cfm. For a complete list of countries, please visit www.iwalktoschool.org/whoswalking. For photos of Walk to School activities from around the world, please visit www.iwalktoschool.org/photos/index.htm.

Safe Routes Snapshots: Corvallis and Philomath, OR

Safe Routes Snapshots provides a brief profile of a Safe Routes to School state or local program that highlights a particular success or issue the program faced. To submit your program for Safe Routes Snapshots, please email news@saferoutesinfo.org.

In 2003, Patricia Parsons, a health promotion specialist for Chronic Disease Prevention at the Benton County Health Department, decided to implement a sustainable program to help prevent childhood obesity. With the creation of two local Safe Routes to School task forces two years later, Parsons and the respectively urban and suburban towns of Corvallis and Philomath in Benton County, Oregon, have implemented strategic SRTS programs to increase safety and encouragement activities for the various elementary and middle schools' bicyclists and pedestrians. These policy and environmental efforts encourage physical activity and healthy eating, thereby working toward the ultimate goal of decreasing childhood obesity.

The SRTS task force members in Corvallis and Philomath are the school district assistant superintendent, the principals, city and county Transportation Departments the school district planning consultant, council members, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the Corvallis and Philomath Police Departments. Together, the task forces strive to incorporate four E's — encouragement, enforcement, engineering and education — into the SRTS programs.

Before the task forces' establishment, there was not a centralized way for parents to voice traffic safety concerns regarding their children walking and bicycling. With the task force, all necessary officials gather together to discuss how to improve safety, which resolves issues more easily. In addition to advocating for parents, the task force advocates for students and for community-wide policy changes to aid in improving conditions for walking and bicycling.

At the school level, seven of the eight elementary schools in Corvallis and the two elementary and one middle school in Philomath have participated in various SRTS activities for the past four years. The SRTS programs throughout the two towns vary in nature, but they still have helped and encouraged children to walk or bicycle safely to school.

For more information on this case study, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/case_studies/pdfs/OR.corvallis.pdf

Safe Routes to School Program Tracking Brief: Fall 2007

The National Center for Safe Routes to School has released the Fall 2007 Program Tracking Brief. This quarterly report is prepared by the National Center for Safe Routes to School to provide information about state Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. Each quarter, a different snapshot and brief analysis of one key trend across all state programs is presented.

Highlights from the Fall 2007 report include:

  • Approximately $156 million has been spent or committed for SRTS programs
  • 33 states (65%) have announced funding for local SRTS programs
  • 39 states (76%) have announced funding for local and/or statewide SRTS programs
  • At least 1414 schools are participating in state-funded SRTS programs

To access the complete report, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/resources/tracking-reports.cfm

Featured Resource: 2006–2007 NCSRTS Annual Report

The National Center for Safe Routes to School has released its 2006–2007 Annual Report. The report includes a timeline of Federal SRTS program accomplishments, an overview of the Center's accomplishment as well as a look into the future activities of the Center. To access the annual report, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org/resources/center-reports.cfm.

News Brief

Tribal School Zones Safety Toolkit available

Pedestrian-related fatalities among adults in the American Indian community are significantly higher than those of Caucasians or African Americans — 3.5 times higher. For children, the numbers are even more shocking with the fatality rate being four times that of the overall population.

In response to this alarming trend, the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FWHA) teamed with several partners, including the National Center for Safe Routes to School, to create a series of resources to help address these issues among the tribal population.

The first part of the "Tribal School Zones Safety Video Toolkit" includes two videos. The first, "Safety Doesn't Happen By Accident," is an 8-minute video aimed at the 9–12 age group, but may also be appropriate for older and younger children. The video can be shown in the classroom, or at other school or community events. The second, "Pedestrian Safety: A New Tradition," is a 9.5-minute video aimed at the adult population including Tribal/Community Elders, parents, school board members, policy makers and older teens. Both videos aim to bring awareness to pedestrian issues, and individual and community solutions and tips to improve pedestrian safety to all age groups in Tribal communities.

The second part of the toolkit includes a booklet created by NCSRTS to accompany the 2-part video series. Designed to raise awareness among tribal communities and provide tools and resources to help communities address pedestrian awareness and safety, the 29-page booklet contains educational materials such as pedestrian safety tips for all age groups, promotional tips, and a resource sheet that outlines various organizations and governmental agencies that can provide assistance in addressing pedestrian safety concerns.

For more information, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/flh/safetyvideo.htm.

SRTS in the News

The following is a brief compilation of Safe Routes to School-related news stories from across the country. Web links to the following news stories are time sensitive, so some stories may not be accessible after the initial publication date or may require registration.

Helping kids learn the rules of the road
www.kansas.com/news/story/222960.html
The Wichita Eagle
11/9/2007
New trail will get children to school safely
www.baycitytribune.com/story.lasso?ewcd=9fd61fb3b18f2e00
The Bay City Tribune
11/2/2007
Safe Routes program great for our children
www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071027/OPINION/710270317/-1/NEWS
Seacoast Online
10/26/2007
Safe Routes to School award recipients named
www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071025/NEWS01/710250309/1002
The Jackson Sun
10/25/2007
Kids' pedestrian deaths drop, but steps urged
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-24-Kidpeds_N.htm
USA Today
10/24/2007
Step on the Sidewalk, and No One Has to Step on the Gas
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/10/AR2007101001404.html
Washington Post
10/11/2007
Irvine principal walks to school to motivate students
www.ocregister.com/news/school-walk-bowman-1877235-students-day
OC Register
10/3/2007
Stepping up and out
www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/30/stepping_up_and_out/
The Boston Globe
9/30/2007
Program wants to get kids pedaling to school
www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/11907118628330.xml&coll=1
The Huntsville Times
9/25/2007
Grant will fund safer, better routes to Ellsworth schools
www.piercecountyherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=14038
Pierce County Herald
9/19/2007
Grants aim to make walking to school safe
www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070912/NEWS/709120352
SeaCoast Online
9/12/2007
Turning the Ride to School Into a Walk
www.nytimes.com/2007/09/11/health/11brod.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
New York Times
9/11/2007

For more news stories relating to Safe Routes to School, please visit the NCSRTS News Room at www.saferoutesinfo.org/news_room/

Safe Routes Matters is a free, online publication of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. No permission is needed to reprint from articles, but attribution is requested. To submit article ideas to Safe Routes Matters, please email news@saferoutesinfo.org.