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Safe Routes to School
The federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program was first created in August 2005 through Section 1404 of SAFETEA-LU, and authorized at $612 million in funding over five years, through September 2009. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) use these funds to help communities increase the safety and frequency of children walking and bicycling to and from school, and to help address traffic congestion, air quality issues, and childhood physical inactivity and obesity.
In 2009, Congress will be considering the next surface transportation bill, which includes Safe Routes to School. This provides an opportunity for SRTS advocates to strengthen the program. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership worked in collaboration with our partners and SRTS supporters to develop a series of recommendations for the next transportation bill that will help SRTS continue to grow and succeed. We encourage SRTS supporters to review the following resources and consider helping build support for these recommendations by engaging your Members of Congress:
• Safe Routes to school National Partnership’s Reauthorization Platform
• 2009 Policy Report
• Toolkit for Building Congressional Champions – A Guide for Local SRTS Supporters
• Text of Safe Routes to School original legislation
We are meeting with Members of Congress and their staff regularly to discuss these legislative recommendations. If you do contact one of your U.S. Senators or House Representatives about SRTS, please let us know. Just send an e-mail to Margo Pedroso, Policy Manager, at margo@saferoutespartnership.org. Thank you in advance for your advocacy!
Featured Items:
New Safe Routes to School Senate Bill Sets Stage for Next Federal Transportation Bill
On May 21, 2009, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Richard Burr (R-NC) , Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Susan Collins (R-ME) joined together to introduce the Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act (S. 1156). The new Safe Routes to School bill proposes to build on successes around the country and strengthen and expand the federal Safe Routes to School program. We need assistance from all Safe Routes to School supporters and advocates to ensure that this legislation is ultimately included in the next transportation bill which is up for reauthorization this year. Please follow the links below to learn more and take action.
• For Individuals: Take Action and Contact your Senators
• For Organizations: Write a Letter to your Senators (.doc)
• Current Senate Supporters
• List of Supporting Organizations
• Press release from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership
• Press release from the Senate bill sponsors
• Summary of the legislation
• Full text of the legislation
• Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s reauthorization recommendations
House Transportation Bill and Blumenauer Bill Support Safe Routes to School
On June 24, 2009, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit unanimously approved its draft of the transportation bill, called the Surface Transportation Authorization Act. Chairman Oberstar included a number of provisions to strengthen Safe Routes to School. In addition, in November, Rep. Blumenauer introduced H.R. 4021 to expand Safe Routes to School to high schools. Neither the Surface Transportation Authorization Act nor the Blumenauer bill address funding levels at this point. Please contact your Representative to express support for Chairman Oberstar’s provisions and H.R. 4021. We provided sample text for you to use in your email here.
Latest News and Information:
Long-term transportation extension on tap
March 8, 2010
A great deal of back-and-forth has been happening on the transportation and jobs bills since our last update. The last week of February, the Senate moved forward on its jobs bill, a much smaller and more focused bill. It includes a long-term extension for SAFETEA-LU until December 31, 2010 but does not include any new stimulus funding for surface transportation. Due to procedural hurdles, the House and Senate were not able to agree on the final jobs bill (including the transportation extension) before the end of February, so SAFETEA-LU actually expired for two days. Congress has since passed another short-term extension allowing SAFETEA-LU to continue through March. The House has also just passed a slightly tweaked version of the Senate jobs bill. At this point, the Senate must vote one final time on the jobs bill before it can be signed into law. Once that happens, SAFETEA-LU will be operating under the long-term extension. The federal Safe Routes to School program (and all other SAFETEA-LU programs) will be funded throughout the remainder of FY2010 and the first quarter of FY2011 at the FY2009 funding level.
It is also expected that within a few weeks, Congress will pass language that will allow Safe Routes to School and several other transportation programs to receive an allocation of additional “bonus formula funds” which could increase funding for Safe Routes to School by another 7 to 10 percent for FY2010. Finally, the Senate will likely move forward on other larger jobs bills in the coming weeks and months, and there is still talk that one of these bills will include additional funding for transportation, similar to last year’s stimulus funding.
Alternative climate legislation soon to be released
March 8, 2010
Senators Kerry (D-MA), Lieberman (I-CT), and Graham (R-SC) have been working behind the scenes to develop a bipartisan compromise on a climate and energy security bill. Majority Leader Reid has asked the Senators to release their compromise within the next few weeks in hopes that the Senate could consider climate legislation yet this year. It remains to be seen what will be included in the compromise bill specific to transportation, although it seems likely that there will be some kind of carbon tax on fuels that could be used for green transportation projects or supplementing the highway trust fund.
SRTS highlighted at US DOT listening session
February 19, 2010
The US DOT sponsored a listening session for the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill in Los Angeles, California. During the plenary session, many questions were raised about the role of Safe Routes to School, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and health in US DOT and Congressional priorities. Secretary Ray LaHood emphasized the DOT’s focus on livability and told the crowd, “we get it!” In response to these questions Senator Boxer stated, “this is real, we’re working to create healthy sustainable communities.” Later in the day, Safe Routes to School National Partnership Director Deb Hubsmith spoke on a panel focused on transportation safety.
Transportation bill in a holding pattern; jobs bill under discussion
February 3, 2010
Since Senate Democrats no longer hold a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority, bills that are controversial or require the outlay of significant new funding—like the transportation and climate bills—are more difficult to pass. Senate leaders have started negotiations on their jobs package. The Senate may work on several jobs bills, and it looks like funding for transportation (including Transportation Enhancements) will be included, but at a lower level than the House-passed jobs bill. It is possible that infrastructure funding could be held back for a future bill. In the meantime, the U.S. Department of Transportation continues to hold listening sessions around the country to discuss the future of the transportation bill. Network organizers in Louisiana and Minnesota attended the first two listening sessions to discuss the importance of the federal Safe Routes to School program for safety and livability.
Congress passes transportation extension
January 7, 2010
Before adjourning for the holidays, Congress passed an extension to the current SAFETEA-LU transportation bill, which allows transportation funds to continue to flow until February 28, 2010. All existing programs, including Safe Routes to School, will continue to be funded at their FY2009 levels through the end of February. The House also included a provision in other legislation (the jobs bill) to extend SAFETEA-LU until September 30, 2010—if the Senate concurs, action on the transportation bill would slip until late this year or next year.
Continued uncertainty on timeline for transportation bill
December 2, 2009
Congress has shifted its primary focus to health care and the unemployment numbers, leaving little room for movement on transportation and climate bills. However, the current extension for the SAFETEA-LU transportation bill expires on December 18. Congress will have to act by then to ensure that transportation funds continue to flow. There has been talk of Congress passing a six-month extension, but the situation is still very fluid. Congress and the Administration are also discussing passing a “jobs bill” to address the rising unemployment rate. Many ideas—including transportations spending—are currently being considered to accelerate job growth. The size and make-up of the bill have not been worked out, but Congress hopes to have a bill passed by the State of the Union in January. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is monitoring the situation for opportunities to include Safe Routes to School funding in the package.
LaHood talks with advocates about pedestrian safety and livability
November 16, 2009
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership participated in a coalition meeting with Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss pedestrian safety and Transportation for America’s new report, Dangerous by Design. The Partnership discussed how Safe Routes to School programs and Complete Streets policies improve safety for children walking and bicycling. In a blog post after the meeting, Secretary LaHood affirmed his support for Complete Streets planning to make sure roadways are designed for all users—including bicyclists and pedestrians.
New Blumenauer Bill Would Expand Safe Routes to School to High Schools
November 13, 2009
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and nine other Representatives have just introduced H.R. 4021 to make high schools eligible for Safe Routes to School funding. Allowing high schools to compete for federal Safe Routes to School funding will help adolescents be more physically active, continue healthy and green transportation habits, and reinforce bicycle and pedestrian safety for high school students. Learn more and contact your Representative in support of H.R. 4021.
Transportation Bill Update
November 3, 2009
Congress has again pushed back a decision on the timeline for the transportation bill. All transportation programs have been extended one more time, at FY2009 funding levels, until December 18, 2009. There continues to be disagreement between the House and the Senate about the best way of proceeding on a long-term transportation bill. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is using this delay to ensure that Members of Congress know the value of Safe Routes to School.
Transportation Bill in a Holding Pattern
October 13, 2009
During September, Congress was unable to come to agreement on the length of the extension to the current transportation bill, which was set to expire on September 30, 2009. As we’ve reported previously, the House was pushing for a 3-month extension, while the Senate and Administration have been pushing for an 18-month extension. The House and Senate could not come to agreement, and instead did a short-term 1-month extension. That means discussion over the timeline for when to consider the next transportation bill will continue throughout October.
Join the Safe Routes to School “Dear Congress” campaign and help spread the word
Deadline has been extended to October 23, 2009
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has launched a “Dear Congress: Why Safe Routes to School is Important” campaign. We need your help. We’re striving to generate hundreds—if not thousands—of letters from children, parents, program staff and volunteers, and school and city leaders talking about why Safe Routes to School is important to individuals and communities. We will bundle your letters and share them with members of the House and Senate so that they know how many people in their states and districts value Safe Routes to School. Read on for how you can join the campaign.
The Latest on the Transportation Bill
September 10, 2009
The House and Senate have approximately three weeks left before the current transportation bill expires, and must come to agreement on the length of an extension. The Senate and the Administration want a longer extension of 18 months, while the House prefers a much shorter extension. The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee may move forward with further consideration of its existing House transportation draft bill in the meantime. Whatever the length of the extension, it is expected to continue all current transportation programs at their current fiscal year 2009 funding levels. However, an extension may create difficulties for state DOTs in committing to new projects and grants as they will be receiving money in installments over the course of the year. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership will continue to monitor state DOTs to ensure that Safe Routes to School funds are awarded and obligated in a timely fashion.
State DOT Rescissions in the Works
September 10, 2009
In other federal news, it is time for rescissions. In this federally-mandated process, state DOTs must return a portion of their existing transportation funds in a number of programs to Washington. For most transportation programs subject to the rescission, the loss of funding will be approximately 5% of a program’s total funding from FY2004-2009. Safe Routes to School is unique in that there are two methods of calculating the rescissions for each state -one based on unobligated balances as compared with other programs, and one is based on the funding level as compared with other programs. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is working closely with the Federal Highway Administration to determine the impact on state Safe Routes to School programs. At this point it appears that the maximum rescission will be around 4.5% of a state’s Safe Routes to School funds, but could be less in some states depending on obligation levels. As soon as we have more details, including state by state figures, we will share those via a subsequent email alert.
Make Plans Now to Meet With Your Members of Congress in August in Support of SRTS
August 11, 2009
As August draws near, many Americans are thinking about vacations and trips to the beach or pool. But – it’s also an important time to connect with your Members of Congress, who spend August at home in their districts talking with constituents. That makes it a perfect time to discuss Safe Routes to School with your Members of Congress. Read on for the key ways you can help.
Transportation Bill Update
August 11, 2009
Both the House and Senate have passed a bill that fixes the funding shortfall for current transportation programs until the end of September. The current transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU, expires at the end of September—but there is disagreement about how to proceed. The Senate has already moved forward on legislation that would extend the current transportation bill another 18 months (funding all programs, including SRTS, at the FY2009 until March 2011). The House prefers to focus on passing a full transportation bill instead of a long-term extension. The House and Senate will have to resolve their differences and decide on a way forward for the next transportation bill before the end of September.
House Transportation Bill Moves Forward; Strengthens Safe Routes to School
June 24, 2009
On Monday, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee released its draft of the transportation bill, called the Surface Transportation Authorization Act. Although the overall bill is expected to ultimately include around $450-500 billion over six years, no funding levels are included for any program at this point. The bill is instead meant to outline the new structure for surface transportation programs and policy changes.
The bill was approved unanimously today by the House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. The next step will be for the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to work with the Ways and Means Committee in July to determine the financing for the bill. Once that has been worked out, the bill can continue forward through the legislative process. For for more information on SRTS in the bill, click here.
Update on House Transportation Bill and Safe Routes to School
June 19, 2009
Over the past few days, there has been a lot of movement on the transportation bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. On Thursday, June 18, Reps. Oberstar, Mica, DeFazio, and Duncan, who are the lead Democrats and Republicans on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, released a Blueprint of the transportation bill. For more information, click here.
House Transportation Bill May Be Unveiled This Month
June 8, 2009
Chairman Oberstar of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee may be releasing a draft of the next transportation bill, or at least white papers outlining his intended approach, this month. To prepare for the transportation bill, Members of Congress spent much of May building support for their priorities. Reps. Blumenauer (D-OR), Lipinski (D-IL), and Edwards (D-MD) each took the lead on letters to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in support of SRTS and other bicycle/pedestrian and safety programs. Several dozen Members of Congress signed on to the letters, which help demonstrate that there is broad support for the program’s expansion in the next transportation bill.
House GOP Proposes Eliminating SRTS as Part of Budget-Cutting Effort
June 4, 2009
Today, Reps. Boehner and Cantor, who are part of the House Republican leadership issued a list of dozens of programs they propose eliminating to reduce spending and the deficit. Among many of the items they propose to eliminate is the Safe Routes to School program (along with other bike/ped programs like Transportation Enhancements and the Non-Motorized Pilot Program), arguing it should be handled by local governments. This list of proposed reductions was released to the media today in the form of a letter to President Obama, and is not a part of the regular budget and appropriations process at this point. The Associated Press did an article on the proposed cuts which highlights Safe Routes to School.
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is continuing to work to ensure the extension and expansion of the Safe Routes to School program. Rep. Oberstar, the Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, should soon be releasing his draft transportation bill and we hope there will be positive language in there for Safe Routes to School. We also recently worked with a bipartisan group of Senators to secure introduction of S. 1156, the Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act , which would expand funding to $600 million per year and make changes to strengthen the program. We are finding a lot of support for Safe Routes to School on both sides of the aisle.
Contact Your Member of Congress Today to Make Sure Bicycling, Walking, and Safe Routes to School Are a Part of Our Transportation System
May 19, 2009
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership needs five minutes of your time to help make sure that Members of Congress support bicycling and walking in the multi-year federal transportation bill, a draft of which is scheduled to be released in a couple of weeks.
There are two different “Dear Colleague” letters being circulated in the U.S. House of Representatives that call for increased federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs in the next transportation bill. With your help as a constituent, we can get a critical mass of Members of Congress to sign on to these letters and show strong, broad support for bicycling, walking, and Safe Routes to School in the next transportation bill. For more information on signing onto these letters, click here.
Next Few Weeks Critical to SRTS Reauthorization
May 12, 2009
Rep. Oberstar, Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has indicated he will be releasing his version of the transportation bill in early June. We are working closely with Chairman Oberstar’s staff to ensure that Safe Routes to School is included in the draft. We are also partnering with America Bikes on a support letter that members of the House Transportation Committee can sign to show support for Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, bicycle/pedestrian funding, and a “fair share for safety.” On the Senate side, we expect Senator Harkin (D-IA) to introduce a Safe Routes to School reauthorization bill, based on the Partnership’s platform, in the coming weeks. As soon as the House support letter and Senate bill are available, we will alert SRTS supporters and ask you to take action.
Partnership Releases Working Group Report on SRTS Implementation Challenges
May 7, 2009
Last fall, the Partnership has convened a Working Group on Implementation to examine the impact of the title 23 regulations that govern SRTS on project delivery and costs and develop more specific recommendations. Together, Working Group participants convened monthly to discuss implementation challenges and opportunities. The Partnership’s Working Group on Implementation has just released the product of those discussions, a report entitled “Implementation Challenges with the Federal SRTS Program: An Examination of Title 23 Regulations, the Impact on Project Costs and Timing, and Opportunities for More Efficient Project Delivery". The report provides background on the existing regulatory processes, identifies best practices that many state DOTs are already undertaking, and proposes legislative and administrative solutions that could make SRTS projects more efficient, without undermining important environmental and labor projections. We have already begun to share the report with key Congressional offices and the Federal Highway Administration, and hope that state SRTS Coordinators will find it useful in their own implementation. We would like to thank the members of the Working Group, who are identified in the report’s appendix, and all those local SRTS recipients who completed the implementation survey last December.
SRTS Supporters Host Sen. Bond (R-MO) and Rep. Johnson (R-IL) for Site Visits
May 1, 2009
Local SRTS supporters have an important role to play in building support for the program and ensuring that Congress will strengthen and expand funding for the program as part of the upcoming transportation bill. The easiest way to do this is to ask your Senator or House Member to come to an upcoming SRTS event to see the positive impact these federal dollars are having on children and families in your community—like two recent events:
• In April, the PedNet Coalition of Columbia, Missouri invited Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO) to walk to school as part of their Walking School Bus program. The Senator had a chance to interact with local kids and get some exercise. Afterwards, he addressed the children, encouraging them to develop healthy habits through the Walking School Bus. Local media covered the event, resulting in positive articles in local papers, including one headlined “Senator Bond Gets on the Health Bus.”
• Also in April, the Champaign-Urbana SRTS Project hosted an event with Mark Fenton that included a walking audit and Safe Routes to School planning workshop. Rep. Tim Johnson (R-IL) walked with the group during the audit, shared his own stories of walking and biking around the Urbana area as a child, and saw the new school zone signs that were installed with SRTS grant funds. Rep. Johnson told the group of his support for increasing funding for SRTS in the next transportation bill.
These two events are examples of how you can connect Members of Congress with the impact of SRTS—through events you may already be planning for your families, communities and schools. All it takes is a little planning—and we have a Toolkit for Building Congressional Champions with step-by-step instructions, templates and tools to help you plan and carry out your event. Please also don’t hesitate to contact Margo Pedroso, Policy Manager for the Partnership, if you need any help during the process or would like to share your site visit story.
Federal Update
March 10, 2009
Congressman Oberstar of Minnesota, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has indicated that he hopes to have a surface transportation bill through his Committee by the end of May. That would leave the summer for both the House and Senate to move forward on the legislation before it expires at the end of September 2009. The new transportation authorization bill provides an important opportunity to strengthen and expand the federal Safe Routes to School program.
Partnership Unveils 2009 Policy Report
March 10, 2009
The Safe Routes to School 2009 Policy Report - Moving to the Future: Building on Early Achievements examines the first three years of the federal Safe Routes to school program and identifies ways in which the program could be strengthened through policy changes at the national and local levels. It also identifies discusses a number of "big-picture" policies and practices that can help build a supportive environment for Safe Routes to School programs.
Safe Routes to School at the National Bike Summit
February 10, 2009
The theme of the National Bike Summit 2009 is Go for Green: Building Bicycling into the Transportation Bill. The Partnership will be participating in two workshops you won’t want to miss at the National Bike Summit! Please join us: every Congressional District needs to be represented.
The first session, Safe Routes to School Times Three, makes the argument that the remarkable success of the Safe Routes to School program signifies the need for a significant increase in funding and easier project delivery. Discover the game plan for boosting Safe Routes to School in the new transportation bill. The second workshop, Getting a Fair Share for Safety, will address ways that the next transportation bill can redress the balance of bicyclists and pedestrians accounting for 13% of traffic fatalities yet getting less than 1% of federal safety funds. If you are planning on attending the National Bike Summit, and are involved with SRTS, please contact Margo Pedroso at margo@saferoutespartnership.org so that we can help you make the most of your visit to the nation’s capitol.
President-Elect Obama Selects Ray LaHood Transportation Secretary
January 10, 2009
President-Elect Obama announced recently that former Congressman Ray LaHood, a Republican from Illinois, is his selection to serve as the new Secretary of Transportation. Congressman LaHood is a moderate that is known to have worked well across party lines. He most recently served on the House Appropriations Committee for several years, and previously served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The League of Illinois Bicyclists shares that Congressman LaHood is an active supporter of bicycling and trails, and stood up against his party leadership to support the Transportation Enhancements program, which provides a great deal of funding to bicycle and pedestrian projects. In floor remarks supporting the restoration of funding to Transportation Enhancements in 2003, Congressman LaHood spoke about the importance of trails and facilities that encourage Americans to exercise and get healthy. We look forward to translating his support for trails into support for the Safe Routes to School program.
President-Elect Obama Supports Safe Routes to School
November 5, 2008
Earlier this year, Senator Barack Obama met in Chicago with board and staff members of Bikes Belong, the Partnership’s parent organization. Mr. Obama told the bike group’s leaders that if elected president, he would support funding for bicycling, walking and Safe Routes to School in the next federal transportation bill. That same week, Mr. Obama celebrated his consolidation of the Democratic Presidential nomination by riding bikes with his two young daughters in a Chicago park. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership will work closely with Bikes Belong and the America Bikes coalition to ensure that the new Obama administration is fully briefed on the tangible benefits and significant progress of Safe Routes to School programs as they prepare their legislative agenda.
Partnership Releases Reauthorization Recommendations
September 2, 2008
Congress will be taking up the next transportation bill in 2009. In collaboration with our partners and SRTS supporters, we have developed a platform outlining changes that are critical to the continued growth and success of Safe Routes to School. We will be working to educate Members of Congress about the benefits of SRTS and build support for our recommendations over the coming months. You can help advance these recommendations by inviting your Member of Congress to a local SRTS event. To learn how, please review our Toolkit for Building Congressional Champions.
House Committee Holds Hearing on SRTS; Partnership Testifies
October 2, 2007
Deb Hubsmith, Director, Safe Routes to School National Partnership; Scott Bricker, Interim Executive Director, Oregon Bicycle Transportation Alliance; and others testified before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit regarding the federal Safe Routes to School program. Opening statements from Members of Congress and witness testimonies are available at the Committee’s website. Also available is Deb Hubsmith’s written testimony and a photo of the hearing.
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