Developing Background Materials

Whether you are holding an event or attending a meeting with your Member of Congress, you will need some background materials. These materials will help the Member of Congress, event participants, and the media understand more about your project and Safe Routes to School. 

This section will walk you through how to create a one-pager about your project, how to download fact sheets on the national Safe Routes to School movement, and what to put into informational packets. Tools and resource for this section include:

➢ TOOL: Template for one-pager on your local SRTS project. (Word format) This template will help guide you in creating an informative and interesting overview of your project.

➢ RESOURCE: Downloadable fact sheets on SRTS at the national (.pdf format) and state level. You can download and print out these fact sheets to include in your packets.

➢ RESOURCE: Summary of reauthorization recommendations for SRTS.  (.pdf format) You can download and print out this summary to include in your packets.

Creating a One-Pager on your Local SRTS Project

It’s important that you be able to sum up your local Safe Routes to School project in a one-page overview document. This one-pager should clearly communicate what you are seeking to accomplish with your SRTS grant, and how it will benefit your community.

If you don’t yet have funding to pursue the project, this one-pager can sum up what you hope to do, if funded, and how the project would benefit your community.

Please consider the following bullets and fill out the “Template for one-pager on your local SRTS project” to create your local one-pager.

  • What problems and challenges are you looking to solve with your SRTS grant (or future project, if funded)? Examples include:
    • Lack of sidewalks, bikeways, and safe crossing areas
    • Drivers that speed or run stoplights
    • Parent concerns about a child’s personal safety
    • Traffic congestion and poor air quality around the school
  • How much funding were you awarded for your SRTS project, or what types of funding do you need? What types of activities will your grant (or grant you hope to secure) allow you to undertake? Types of activities can include:
    • Engineering – for example, extending sidewalks, improving street crossings, or adding bicycle paths or lanes
    • Education – for example, walking and bicycling safety education and training at the school
    • Enforcement – for example, better enforcement of speed limits and stoplights
    • Encouragement – for example, holding a promotional “walk and bicycle to school” day and contests
  • How will these activities improve your community? Common benefits of SRTS include:
    • Increased numbers of children walking and bicycling
    • Increased safety for children (from traffic and/or personal safety)
    • Less traffic congestion, less fuel consumption, and better air quality
    • Healthier lifestyles for children, which can help address obesity and related illnesses
    • A better sense of community for parents and children
  • If your project has already started, what stories or data do you have to show the impact of the SRTS project on your community for activities you’ve already started? Examples can include:
    • Number of children and parents trained in bicycle and pedestrian safety
    • Number of children participating in a walk and bicycle to school day
    • Reductions in unsafe driving incidents
    • Positive stories or quotes from parents, children, school personnel, and community leaders
  • Are there any other outstanding needs for Safe Routes to School that you will need additional funding for in the future to make your school safe and completely accessible for student pedestrians and cyclists?

Downloading Background Materials from SRTSNP

In addition to information about your local project, Members of Congress and the media will be interested in knowing how your project fits into a national movement. SRTSNP has developed several documents that you can download, print out, and use as-is in your informational packets. All of these materials are available for download at . They include:

  • “What Is Safe Routes to School?” This two-page fact sheet gives an overview of the federal SRTS program and provides statistics to reinforce its importance and impact.
  • Safe Routes to School in My State. STRSNP has posted information on each state’s SRTS program coordinator, funding levels, success stories, and programs. Go to our state map and click on your state’s map. If you would like a .pdf of this information, please contact Margo Pedroso for a copy.
  • Summary of reauthorization recommendations for SRTS. SRTSNP has developed a series of recommendations that would improve and expand funding for the federal SRTS program. This document provides an overview of the recommendations, and is particularly important for Members of Congress, as we are trying to build support for these recommendations in Congress.

Producing Informational Packets

Informational packets are good “takeaways” for meeting and event participants, and will help convey your message about the importance of SRTS to your local community. While most packets will contain similar basic information, there may be items you include only for certain audiences. If possible, purchase recycled-paper folders and affix a sticker on the front with your organization’s logo and a reference to Safe Routes to School, and put the materials inside the folder. You want your informational packets to be memorable and informative, but not to include so much information that they are overwhelming.

Here are our recommendations of what to include in your informational packets:

For Members of Congress

Make sure to create several copies of this packet, so you can share one with the Member of Congress plus any staff members that accompany him or her.

For the Media

Create a number of these packets so you will have enough for reporters and any other news media staff. Members of the media will likely use this information when writing or producing their story. For more information on working with the media, see Section 4.

For the General Public

Depending on the size of your event, you may opt to simply produce copies of the one-pager on your local SRTS project rather than creating dozens of folders.