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Michigan
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Jackson, Michigan, Frost Elementary Walk to School day | Michigan SRTS Program
Managed by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and non-profit partner the Michigan Fitness Foundation/Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness (MFF), Michigan’s federally funded Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is the source for state coordinator contact details, federal SRTS funding amounts, SRTS applications and guidelines, and state SRTS program information.
Michigan DOT SRTS Coordinator (Interim)
Bryan Armstrong
(517) 335-2636
armstrongb@michigan.gov
http://www.saferoutesmichigan.org/
Michigan’s Primary Contractor for SRTS Noninfrastrucutre-related Work
Michigan Fitness Foundation/Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness
Michigan Fitness Foundation SR2S Director
Candance (Lee) Kokinakis
(517) 347-7891
ckokinakis@michiganfitnesss.org
http://www.michiganfitness.org/
Click on any of the menu items below for more information:
Michigan SRTS Federal Funding
Application Guidelines
State Advisory Committee
State Outreach Programs
Evaluation Methods
Success Story
Other Statewide and Regional Programs
Michigan Partner Affiliates
Legislation and Policies
Michigan SRTS Federal Funding
Michigan’s SRTS funding totals $18,844,981 and includes the following annual apportionments:
| 2005 Actual |
2006 Actual |
2007 Actual |
2008 Actual |
2009 Projected |
| $1,000,000 |
$3,009,800 |
$4,005,253 |
$4,811,697 |
$6,018,231 |
Application Guidelines
The Michigan program accepts applications at any time. The Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF) assists MDOT with application development, review, and awards. The Michigan SR2S Handbook describes the five-step planning process required prior to the submission of an application for SRTS funding. These steps include: registration of initiative; formation of representative local team; completion of parent/student surveys and in-class tally; completion of walking audit; completion of 5E action plan. Participation in a regional training is also required.
The Michigan SRTS funding application guidelines can be viewed and downloaded by visiting www.saferoutesmichigan.org.
State Advisory Committee
The Michigan Safe Routes to School state coalition has over 25 active member state agencies, organizations, and universities. The coalition was developed during the 2003 Michigan SR2S pilot project and provided guidance during the pilot phase. The coalition is multidisciplinary with representatives from transportation, health, safety, education, planning, parent groups, K-8 schools, law enforcement, engineering, student populations with disabilities, bicycle advocates, pedestrian advocates, and trail advocates.
Within the coalition, a core team of ten state agencies, organizations, and universities have led the state program and members currently provide sub-contractual technical assistance, outreach, and local person-power through their existing agency and university networks. Coalition meetings occur three times a year.
State Outreach Programs
The Michigan Fitness Foundation/Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness provides statewide SR2S training, outreach, and technical assistance. Additional education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation strategies and materials are being developed by the Foundation to include middle school youth/schools, underserved populations, and students with disabilities in the state program.
Outreach and technical assistance include e-mail, telephone, presentations, and site visit services, Walk to School Day, e-news, materials development and distribution. Training includes eight yearly regional trainings, train-the-trainer sessions, and specialized training development and delivery. Other partners subcontracted through MFF extend the reach to local health departments and extension offices, populations with disabilities, trail and bicycle advocacy groups, urban core areas, safe kids coalitions, and the planning profession.
Evaluation Methods
The statewide evaluation of SR2S in Michigan began with the pilot project in 2004 when baseline data from eleven pilot schools was collected. State parent and student surveys were developed, as was a classroom behavior tally form. Applicants for funding must complete the parent and student surveys, and the classroom tally, prior to submitting the funding application. Survey masters are included in the SR2S Handbook.
Success Story
Frost Elementary, Jackson, MI: Community Collaboration
Frost Elementary started its Safe Routes to School program in the 2003-2004 school year. The team at Frost wanted to start a program at their school, while also incorporating a larger vision including collaboration with the wider community of the City of Jackson. The first step in this endeavor was Frost Elementary school’s Walk to School Day in the fall of the 2004. The team sought to highlight the joy and fun of walking and bicycling to school. The event was such a big hit at Frost Elementary that other schools in the area participated the following year and over 1200 students participated in Walk to School Day in October 2005 in Jackson!
With the cooperation of the Fitness Council of Jackson, the team at Frost developed a marketing campaign to recruit other area schools to join the program. Five schools teams, which included students, parents, administrators, seniors, city officials and law enforcement, have grown their program to include Walking School Buses every day with 10 designated routes throughout the city. Low youth involvement moved the teams to encourage walking to and from school by offering incentives such as punch cards and “Walking Around the World” passports.
Since 2004, the data collected from Frost Elementary suggests a 15 percent increase in walking to school, as well as a 12 percent increase in walking home from school. For more information or to download a free Walking School Bus brochure with map, please contact Andrea Cawthray.
Contact:
Andrea Cawthray
SRTS Program Coordinator
Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Michigan Fitness Foundation
(517) 347-7891
ACawthray@michiganfitness.org
Other Statewide and Regional Programs
Partners providing additional regional or statewide assistance with SR2S include: Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, League of Michigan Bicyclists, Michigan State University Extension Agency, Programs to Educate All Cyclists, Wayne State University, Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan Department of Education, Michigan SafeKids Coalition, Michigan State University Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Services, Michigan Association of Planning, Skillman Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan.
Michigan Partner Affiliates
Find out which organizations in your state have pledged their support for the Safe Routes to School movement. Michigan Partner Affiliates.
Legislation and Policies
The Jasmine Miles School Children Safety Act, 2204
In 2004, the Jasmine Miles School Children Safety Act, introduced after Jasmine Miles was struck and killed as she walked home from school, was signed into law. The Act amended the Michigan Vehicle Code as outlined on Michigan’s Policy and Legislation page.
In 2006, the Michigan State Board of Education officially endorsed the state’s Safe Routes to School program.
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