Advocates for Safe Routes to School and active transportation have long recognized the health impacts of our transportation system. The transportation decisions we make – or worse, the opportunities many people lack because of barriers in the built environment – can have beneficial or detrimental effects on our health. During an inspiring week at the Pro Walk Pro Bike Pro Place Conference in Long Beach, h

New Jersey’s Zealous Nuts: The 2012 ProWalkProBike: Pro Place conference brought together hundreds of “zealous nuts” who are dedicated to people walking and bicycling more often.  Fred Kent, founder of Project for Public Spaces, opened the conference by declaring,

The Safe Routes to School Mississippi network prides itself on the ability to connect with those organizations within the state that are passionate about ridding the state of the childhood obesity epidemic.

The state network project’s advocacy organizers have been hard at work with one of the project’s most critical tasks – preparing action plans. Each of the seven network states has prepared its own action plan that is being presented to their respective networks for comment and adoption.

It’s back to school time! Time for new experiences, teachers, friends, classrooms, subjects and maybe even shiny new Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects. In my second month as the California advocacy organizer, I am undertaking my own version of a back-to-school adventure learning about exciting programs and policies. And I get to meet our amazing network of partners across the state!

The Florida Safe Routes to School program is lucky to have Sarita Taylor. While she may be new to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Safety Office in Tallahassee, she is not new to Safe Routes to School. She brings an impressive history from FDOT District 1.

Physical activity has been central in my life since I learned to run and ride a bike as a kid. Though my career military parents moved my family often, they always prioritized living near a neighborhood school so that my sisters and I could walk or bicycle. I relished the freedom and responsibility of walking and especially bicycling to school, and still treasure those memories.