The following information about the National Center for Safe Routes to School is an excerpt from the Federal Highway Administration Pedestrian & Bicycle Program Activities

January 2013

SafeRoutestoSchool

Contact:

  • ChristopherDouwes,,202-366-5013
  • BeckyCrowe,,804-775-3381
  • FHWAWebsite:
  • NationalCenterforSafeRoutestoSchoolWebsite:

Note: Effective October1,2012,oversightoftheFederalSafeRoutestoSchoolProgramwastransferredfromtheFHWAOfficeofSafetytotheFHWAOfficeofHumanEnvironment.

TheNationalCenterforSafeRoutestoSchool(NationalCenter)servesastheclearinghousefortheFederalSafeRoutestoSchool(SRTS)Program.BelowarehighlightsofactivitiestheNationalCenterconductedin2012.

TrackingtheFederalSRTSProgram

  • ProgramTrackingBriefs-ProducedquarterlytoprovideinformationaboutStateSRTSprogramswithafocusonfundingawardannouncements.HighlightsfromthereportendingSeptember30,2012include:
  • Approximately$860millionhasbeenspentorannouncedforSRTSprograms,whichisapproximately75%ofavailablefundspost-rescission.
  • AllStatesandtheDistrictofColumbiahaveannouncedfundingforlocaland/orstatewideSRTSprograms.
  • Atleast13,666schoolsareparticipatinginState-fundedSRTSprograms.
  • FederallyFundedProjectList and Map-SearchablelistupdatedtwiceyearlyorganizedbyState,projecttype,year,amounts,andrecipientschools,
  • Interactive, GIS-powered map that allowseasyaccessto information and locations of localprojectsfundedbytheFederalSRTSProgramwasenhancedandisnowsearchablebyState,county,congressionaldistrictandMPO,

ProgramData Collection

Tobothfacilitatelocalprogramplanningandmonitoringandtoinformanational-levelunderstandingofprogressoftheSRTSprogram,standardizeddatacollectionformsanddataprocessingareprovidedbytheNationalCenter.

  • AsofSeptember30,2012,theDataSystemsurpassedonemilliondatarecordswith920,086ParentSurveyand160,625StudentTravelTallyquestionnairesfrom7,986schoolsin2,722programslocatedinthe50 States and Washington DC.
  • AnewreportingfeatureintheDataSystemwaslaunchedthatallowsforaschooltodirectly comparestudenttravelcountsfromtwodatacollectionperiodsandtestforstatisticallysignificantchanges.
  • TheNationalCenterreceivedaHarvard Bright Ideas in GovernmentawardforeffortstoengagecommunitiesinschooltraveldatacollectionviatheonlineDataSystem,Evaluation, andDataServices.

Research Program

TheNationalCenterisengagedbothinconductingresearchandevaluationoftheSRTSprogramand

workingwithresearchersacrossthecountrytoprovideassistanceinStateevaluationsofSRTSprograms.

  • Todate,sixpublicationshavebeenreleasedusingdatastoredandmaintainedbytheNationalCenter.Twoweredevelopedfor StateDOTs(AK,FL,MS,TX,WA);threewereacademicjournalarticles (one of whichis in press).TheNationalCenter’straveltally questionnaire wasfeaturedintwoacademicjournalarticlesanditsparentsurveywasfeaturedinoneacademicjournalarticle.
  • BelowarereportsthattheNationalCenterproducedin2012:
  • MethodsforEstimatingtheEnvironmentalHealthImpactofSRTSPrograms
  • NationalBiketoSchoolDayReport
  • LeveragingtheHealthBenefitsofActiveTransportation:CreatinganActionableAgendaforTransportationProfessionals,ajointlyauthored,publishedarticleinMay-JuneTRBTransportationNews.
  • Practitioner-directedbriefbasedonShiftingModesreport:GettingMoreStudentstoWalkandBicycle:FourElementsofSuccessfulPrograms.
  • Safety-basedPrioritizationofSchoolsforSafeRoutestoSchoolInfrastructureProjects:AProcessforTransportationProfessionalsandaccompanyingworksheet.

Technical Assistance

Technicalassistanceoccursprimarilythrougheducationalresourcedevelopment, training and support for State and local SRTS Coordinators.Thewebsite

  • Website Enhancements
  • TheWalktoSchoolDaywebsite,
  • RedesignoftheWalktoSchoolDaywebsiteincludeddevelopmentofaGIS-poweredroutemappingtool( andschoolstomapwalkingandbikingroutestoschool.
  • EducationalMaterials Released in 2012
  • HowtoPlanaBiketoSchoolEvent,RideYourBikeSafelyandHelpingYourChildBeaSafeBicyclist,
  • AseriesofbriefingsheetsdevelopedthroughsubcontractwithITEincluding:WalkingandBicyclingAudits,SchoolPoliciestoImproveTrafficOperationsandSafety,SchoolRouteMaps,SchoolOn-siteDesign,SchoolSiteSelection/Off-siteAccess,SchoolAreaTrafficControl,ManagingSpeed,
  • GettingResults:SRTSProgramsThatIncreaseWalkingandBicycling,
  • TwochaptersofSRTSGuide( updated toreflectcurrentstatisticsandresearch.
  • SRTSCaseStudies/SuccessStories
  • Improvedin2011toincludesearchablecompendiumofsuccessstories,currently164storieshousedat
  • Trainings
  • TwoSRTSNationalCourseInstructorTrainingswereheldin2012;therearenow 243 trainedcourseinstructors.
  • Produced newonlinetrainingonhowtoconductawalkingschoolbusprogram
  • 16newwebinars,targetedprimarilytolocalSRTSprogrampractitioners,werehostedbytheNationalCenterandaddedtoitsavailablearchives.
  • PeerExchangeProgram
  • IncollaborationwithAASHTOandGHSA,developedapilotpeerexchangeprogramforStateSRTSCoordinators.
  • CoordinatedandheldfirstpeerexchangeinDenver,ColoradofocusedonSRTSTribalCoordination.
  • Facilitated second, confidential peer exchange at request of a State SRTS Coordinator.
  • AASHTO drafted evaluation report of first peer exchange.
  • AnnualStateSafeRoutestoSchoolCoordinatorsMeeting
  • Planned and facilitated seventhannualmeetingofSRTSStateCoordinatorsinconjunctionwiththeProWalk/ProBikeConferenceinLongBeach CA.

MarketingandOutreach

TheNationalCenterhasservedasthenationalcoordinationorganizationforNationalWalktoSchoolDaysince2006.LastyearthefirstNationalBiketoSchoolDaywaslaunched.

  • Atleast4,281schoolsregisteredWalktoSchoolDayeventsin2012,settinganewWalktoSchoolDayrecordforparticipation.
  • U.S.DeputySecretaryofTransportationJohnPorcarijoinedPineyBranchElementarystudentsinTakomaPark MD,andpresentedaspecialrecognitionawardfortheschool’sSafeRoutestoSchoolprogram.
  • Thefirst-evernationalBiketoSchoolDaywasheldWednesday,May9,2012, in partnership with the League of American Bicyclists.
  • Approximately 950BiketoSchoolDayeventsin49 StatesandtheDistrictofColumbiaparticipated.
  • NationalnewsconferencefeaturedtheNationalBiketoSchoolDayeventinLincolnPark,WashingtonDC, withtheDistrictDepartmentofTransportation.Participantsincludedstudentsandparentsfrom12CapitolHillareaschools,NHTSAAdministratorDavidL.Strickland,andrepresentativesfromSafeKidsWorldwideandtheSafeRoutestoSchoolNationalPartnership.
  • Revampedwebsite Map-a-Routetoolasapartofthenew “toolbox” forBikeandWalktoSchoolDayeventcoordinators.
  • Abikerackprizegiveawaywasheldforregisteredschoolsandindividualresources,co-sponsoredbySarisRacks.
  • CollaborationwiththeLet’sMove!initiativeandtheChildhoodObesityTaskForcecontinued.
  • OberstarSafeRoutestoSchoolAnnualAward
  • The2012SafeRoutestoSchoolAwardwaspresentedtotheChagrinFalls (Ohio) Safe Routes to School Program.
  • SpecialrecognitionawardswereannouncedforthreeadditionalSRTSprograms:TakomaParkMD;CorralesNM;andSpringfieldMA.
  • NationalReviewGroup
  • AmeetingoftheNationalReviewGroupwasheldinconjunctionwiththeNationalBikeSummitinMarch2012.
  • Participated intheWhiteHouseTransportationRoundtableinWashington DC.