|
State Network Update
August 2010
Progress and policy successes from 2010
Since the State Network Project includes twenty states, each of which is tackling numerous policy issues, it is hard to report all of it in the Partnership’s monthly e-newsletters. However, the Partnership produces reports on the State Network Project annually, and progress and policy successes in the ten states that participated in 2007-2009 State Network Project can be found here.
Here are a few highlights of progress and policy successes that have taken place so far in 2010 in two of the twenty network states:
Kentucky: Governor’s Strategic Highway Safety Taskforce
In mid-July several members of the Kentucky network met with the Secretary of Transportation of the State of Kentucky. The Secretary mentioned the possibility for the network to serve on the Governor’s Strategic Highway Safety Taskforce. Since the meeting, the Secretary’s Chief of Staff contacted the network about serving on the taskforce, which will allow the network to give input on safety issues, including complete streets. To cap off a month of activity on complete streets, the network is hosting an in-state webinar in August 2010 and is distributing the Partnership’s complete streets fact sheet.
Louisiana: School Siting Summit
The Louisiana School Siting Summit took place on July 22nd and was a collaboration between the Louisiana state network organizer, the College of Urban and Public Affairs at the University of New Orleans and Tulane University’s Cowen Institute. The Summit brought together professionals and individuals from planning, public health, historic preservation, education and more. Speakers discussed the preservation of historic buildings, infrastructure improvements and programs and joint-use of facilities. The attendees discussed their views on what makes a successfully sited school, that resulted in recommendations on steps school officials should take to promote community based schools and good school siting decisions.
Mississippi: MDOT Bike/Ped Policy Adopted
In late June, the Mississippi Department of Transportation approved a policy for pedestrians and bicycles on highway and street projects. The policy states that pedestrians and bicyclists in the State of Mississippi shall be considered during the planning, design, construction and maintenance of highway and street facilities. This complete streets policy is an incredible step towards increasing pedestrian and bicycle friendliness and safety in Mississippi. Key network partners were involved in this victory, and the state network salutes MDOT and the State’s Transportation Commissioners for taking this step forward for Mississippi’s pedestrians and bicyclists.
To see how your state did in the second quarter of 2010, click here.
For more information about the state network project, go to: http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/network.
June 2010
Networks work to get 2010 funds spent
In March, the federal transportation bill, known as SAFETEA-LU, was extended to December 31, 2010. This means that program funding equal to the fiscal year 2009 funds is available through state departments of transportation, including Safe Routes to School funds. Some states want to hold on to the money until after a new transportation bill is passed, which could be 2011. State networks are working to encourage states to award the funds without delay so that they can be used for projects that improve safety and enhance access to local schools.
Awarding grants to local schools and communities is just the first step, however. Once funds are awarded, they must go through a rigorous federal and state approval process before contracts are awarded. Once this process is completed, the funds are considered ‘obligated’. If money is not obligated, it runs the risk of eventually being given back to the federal government, or it just doesn’t get to the schools and communities that need it. The timeline for obligation can be lengthy, so local communities can become frustrated and Safe Routes to School programs can lose momentum. State networks are also working with state DOTs to get Safe Routes to School funds obligated without delay.
Each quarter, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership issues a “state of the states” report to show how much progress states are making in using their Safe Routes to School funds. Our most recent report was referenced in a previous article. To see how your state did in the first quarter of 2010, click here.
For more information about the state network project, go to: http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/network.
Arkansas
California
Colorado
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Virginia
Wisconsin
|
