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History
Father of Safe Routes to School: Congressman Jim Oberstar
In the year 2000, Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) asked Bikes Belong Coalition for information on Safe Routes to School. Congressman Oberstar had become concerned that, within the span of a single generation, the number of children walking and bicycling to schools had declined drastically, childhood obesity was on the rise, and rush hour traffic in local communities was escalating because of parents driving their children to schools.
After receiving the inquiry from Congressman Oberstar, Bikes Belong Coalition contacted California residents Deb Hubsmith (of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition) and Patrick Seidler (of Wilderness Trail Bikes) for additional information on Safe Routes to School.
The State of California had legislated a new Safe Routes to School program in the year 1999 that was providing more than $20 million per year for new bike lanes, pathways and sidewalks to help kids walk and bike to schools throughout the state. Congressman Oberstar also spoke with other national leaders about Safe Routes to School.
First SRTS Pilot Programs
Encouraged by hope of “changing the habits of an entire generation of children,” Congressman Oberstar worked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to designate two pilot programs for Safe Routes to School in August of 2000.
One program was led by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition in northern California (managed by Deb Hubsmith who is now the Director of the SRTS National Partnership), and the other was organized by WalkBoston, Bikes Belong Coalition and the National Parks Service in Arlington, Massachusetts. The first two years of the Marin program saw a jump in walking and biking to participating public schools from 21% to 38%.
To highlight this success, in the fall of 2002, Bikes Belong Coalition sponsored a national radio media tour on Safe Routes to School with Deb Hubsmith as the spokesperson for the program. Over 20 million people throughout the United States learned of Safe Routes to School through this radio tour.
America Bikes Launches
Also in the year 2002, the America Bikes coalition was created to ensure that bicycling would receive its fair share of funding in the federal transportation bill that became SAFETEA-LU. America Bikes brought together an unprecedented alliance of eight non-profit organizations, which received primary funding from Bikes Belong Coalition.
Securing a new Safe Routes to School program in the federal transportation bill was a key goal of America Bikes. Through their vast grassroots network of bicycle and pedestrian groups across the nation, America Bikes succeeded in getting the message about Safe Routes to School to every member in Congress.
Building a SRTS Structure
In 2003, Deb Hubsmith approached the League of American Bicyclists regarding the need to develop a structure to support Safe Routes to School program implementation and create the SRTS National Partnership. Support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation helped with convening organizations to develop this structure.
In June of 2003, on the same day as the group’s first meeting, Congressman Oberstar introduced the Pedestrian and Cycling Equity Act for the 21st Century, which included funding for a national Safe Routes to School program.
For the next two years, Hubsmith worked with the League of America Bicyclists and existing bicycle and pedestrian groups across the nation to develop the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, a network of groups and professionals organized to speak with a united voice regarding the need and means for developing and sustaining successful Safe Routes to School programs.
SAFETEA-LU Approved
On July 29, 2005, Congress approved the $286.4 billion federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU, which includes $612 million for the new federal Safe Routes to School program.
Each state is receiving a minimum of $1 million per fiscal year through 2009 for Safe Routes to School, and each State is charged with creating a full-time Safe Routes to School coordinator. From 10–30% of the funds in each State must be spent on non-infrastructure activities including encouragement, public awareness, and educational programs.
The legislation also created a new Safe Routes to School Clearinghouse to provide general public information and support to State DOTs, as well as a Task Force that is developing strategies for advancing Safe Routes to School nationwide.
SRTS National Partnership Created
To ensure that the SRTS money authorized by the new federal transportation bill is put to the best possible use, the SRTS National Partnership was founded in August 2005. Initially funded by the Bikes Belong Coalition, the SRTS National Partnership is headed up by Deb Hubsmith, a national leader in the movement.
The Partnership is a fast-growing network of organizations, government agencies, businesses and professional groups working to set goals, share best practices, secure funding, and provide detailed policy input for agencies implementing SRTS programs.
SRTS State Network Project Launch
In January 2007 the SRTS National Partnership announced the three-year SRTS State Network Project.
Nine key states and the District of Columbia were selected to participate based on high rates of childhood obesity, diversity, poverty and other special circumstances. The project is creating state networks and leveraging state resources for SRTS in:
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California
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Georgia
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Illinois
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Kentucky
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Louisiana
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New York
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Oklahoma
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Texas
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Virginia
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District of Columbia
The project also funded the development of this website, to provide information, case studies and contacts for all 50 states.
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Bikes Belong Coalition, the State Network Project brings together diverse stakeholders within our targeted states to ensure the success of the federal SRTS program, and increase physical activity in students through removing policy barriers to walking and bicycling to schools.
At the local level, each State Network will identify and provide technical assistance to a low-income community or school. The project will also create a Guide to Developing a Successful Safe Routes to School State Network so other states can initiate their own programs. The Partnership is currently seeking additional matching funds to meet our project budget.
The SRTS National Partnership will continue to play a key role in institutionalizing state-level SRTS programs, securing additional funding for such programs, and advancing the network of SRTS advocates and practitioners within states and nationwide.
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