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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.

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.

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Program Contact

Each State administers its own program. Contact your Safe Routes to School State Coordinator for guidance on policies and project eligibility requirements in your State.

To provide feedback, suggestions, or comments for this page contact Becky Crowe at rebecca.crowe@dot.gov.

Origins of the Program

The SRTS Program was established in August 2005 as part of SAFETEA-LU. Section 1404 of this legislation provides funding (for the first time) for State Departments of Transportation to create and administer SRTS programs. The administration of section 1404 has been assigned to FHWA's Office of Safety, which works in collaboration with FHWA's Offices of Planning and Environment (Bicycle and Pedestrian Program) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to guide the program.