National Center for Safe Routes to School. A centralized resource of information on successful Safe Routes to School programs, strategies and State specific information.
Task Force. U.S. DOT has formed a National Safe Routes to School Task Force as called for in law. Click link above to learn more about the Task Force and how you can make comments.
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Safe Routes To School Photo by Paul Niehoff. Many of us remember a time when walking and bicycling to school was a part of everyday life. In 1969, about half of all students walked or bicycled to school.1 Today, however, the story is very different. Fewer than 15 percent of all school trips are made by walking or bicycling, one-quarter are made on a school bus, and over half of all children arrive at school in private automobiles.2 This decline in walking and bicycling has had an adverse effect on traffic congestion and air quality around schools, as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety. In addition, a growing body of evidence has shown that children who lead sedentary lifestyles are at risk for a variety of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.3 Safety issues are a big concern for parents, who consistently cite traffic danger as a reason why their children are unable to bicycle or walk to school.4 The purpose of the Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program is to address these issues head on. At its heart, the SRTS Program empowers communities to make walking and bicycling to school a safe and routine activity once again. The Program makes funding available for a wide variety of programs and projects, from building safer street crossings to establishing programs that encourage children and their parents to walk and bicycle safely to school. This website provides an overview of the Program, as well as specific Program Guidance to the States in the administration of SRTS funds. To provide Feedback, Suggestions, or Comments for this page contact Becky Crowe at rebecca.crowe@dot.gov. 1"Transportation Characteristics of School Children," Report No. 4, Nationwide Personal Transportation Study, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, July 1972. 2"Data from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey conducted by Federal Highway Administration were used as the source." 3"Physical activity and the health of young people," U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Fact Sheet, 2004. 4"Barriers to Children Walking and Biking to School," CDC, 2005. |
