2010 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award

Application

  • The 2010 award application process is now closed.

 

The 2010 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award application process is now closed. The recipient of the 2010 Award will be announced by October 2010.

The 2010 Award will recognize outstanding achievement by a school or community in conducting a SRTS program that has greatly improved the safety or increased the number of elementary and/or middle school students walking and bicycling to school.

The James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award recognizes Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs for outstanding achievement in improving the health and well-being of an entire generation of school children. The award is given annually by the National Center for Safe Routes to School to an exemplary SRTS program in the United States.

About the James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award

The Safe Routes to School Award is named for Congressman James L. Oberstar, current Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in order to honor his dedication to America's school children. During Chairman Oberstar's 35 years as a member of Congress, he has shaped the nation's surface transportation policies to support and encourage walking and bicycling as important alternatives to motorized transportation. As a champion of the SRTS program, Chairman Oberstar built bipartisan support to secure its inclusion in the 2005 Federal transportation bill named Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). SAFETEA-LU included $612 million over five years for SRTS programs in the 50 States and the District of Columbia. These federal funds are administered by each state's Department of Transportation.

Each year, the James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award recognizes a particular type of accomplishment. In 2009, Ben W. Murch Elementary School (Washington, D.C.) received the award in recognition for excellence in building community support and infrastructure for safe walking and bicycling to school. In 2008, Bear Creek Elementary School (Boulder, Colo.) was recognized for outstanding achievement in increasing the number of students who safely walked or bicycled to school during the entire school year. Both winners were able to achieve their successes as part of a SRTS program that benefited from federal SRTS funding. The Michigan Department of Transportation received the 2007 award in recognition of outstanding achievement in establishing a state SRTS program.

Application Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for the 2010 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award, applicants must:

  • Demonstrate success in improving the safety or increasing the number of elementary and/or middle school students walking and bicycling to school;
  • Be part of a functioning Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program currently in place; and
  • Have received federal funds from a state DOT SRTS program or SRTS State Coordinator for infrastructure improvements and/or non-infrastructure projects such as encouragement and education.

Award applications will be evaluated on the following three (3) criteria:

1) Results and successes of SRTS program implementation

Examples of successes MUST include one of the following:

  • Improved safety for walking and bicycling to school;
  • More children walking and bicycling to school;

Additional examples of successes may include but are not limited to:

  • New partnerships that were created or increased participation that was generated among community stakeholders through a SRTS program or project;
  • SRTS program sustainability; and/or
  • Additional benefits such as improvements regarding:
    • Student academic performance,
    • Student behavior,
    • Physical fitness or obesity rates, and/or
    • Parental participation in school activities.

2) Specific activities that contributed to the SRTS program's results and successes

Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Reduction of traffic congestion
  • Lower of traffic speeds
  • Completing infrastructure to support walking and/or bicycling
  • Developing community support for pedestrian and/or bicycle facilities
  • Reducing pedestrian and/or bicyclist injuries
  • Overcoming parental resistance
  • Creating student desire to walk or bicycle to school
  • Improving parental involvement in school
  • Improving low academic performance
  • Creating awareness regarding obesity and/or diabetes
  • Addressing neighborhood safety concerns

3) Importance/impact of federal funding to the SRTS program's implementation and successes

Optional: A one-page letter of recommendation from a SRTS State Coordinator or a supporting organization may be included as part of the application.

Application Process

Applications can be submitted by individuals or organizations such as schools, local SRTS programs, community organizations, local governmental departments, state SRTS coordinators, SRTS advocates, state Departments of Transportation, Governor's Highway Safety Offices, FHWA Division representatives, and NHTSA Regional Offices.

The application deadline was Wednesday, August 4.

Applications will be reviewed by an Award Committee comprised of representatives from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, America Walks, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Governors Highway Safety Association, Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. The recipient of the 2010 Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award will be announced by October 2010. An award ceremony will occur at a date and venue to be determined.

Please note: The National Center for Safe Routes to School promotes local successes of the federal SRTS program. An application submission for the 2010 Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award provides the National Center permission to use information in the application for the promotion of SRTS programs, including but not limited to the National Center's website, published reports, and additional media venues.