Missouri
Quick Links
Safe Routes to School Funding in Missouri | Success Stories | Missouri Partner Affiliates | Existing Legislation and Policies
Safe Routes to School Funding in Missouri
Missouri was an active state in the National Partnership’s state network project from 2010 to 2012. To learn more about successes and lessons learned in Missouri and throughout the 2007 - 2009 and 2010-2011 state network projects, click here. If you are interested in getting involved in ongoing activities that support Safe Routes to School in Missouri, contact Brent Hugh at (816) 695-6736 or director@mobikeped.org.
To see Missouri's Safe Routes to School federal funding, including total funding available, awarded and obligated to date, look at our State of the States quarterly tracking report.
Application Guidelines
Missouri has funded 177 local Safe Routes to School projects totaling more than $16 million. Safe Routes to School projects require no local matching funds.
Visit the Missouri Safe Routes to School program website for more information.
For more information on the steps you need to take to get started, read through the Five Steps to Federal Funding: A Brief Explanation of the Safe Routes to School Program Process. You can find additional resources in our national learning network too.
State Outreach Programs
Missouri held statewide conferences in 2007 and 2008. MoDOT also partnered with PedNet to provide a free workshop for Walking School Bus Coordinator’s in an effort to get more schools involved with WSB programs and IWTS events or simply local WTS events.
State Advisory Committee
Missouri has a state advisory committee.
Success Stories
If you would like to submit a success story for consideration, please email it to Christy Smith.
Columbia, MO
Ten walking school bus routes in Columbia, MO, organized by the PedNet Coalition, have significantly reduced carbon emissions and air pollutants as 350 registered students who used to be driven to school are now walking or bicycling. The result is a reduction of 40,000 miles driven to school each year, producing 19 fewer tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and 1 less ton of other air pollutants. Approximately 20 to 30 percent of participants also walk or bicycle home from school, further increasing the environmental impact.
Columbia, MO: Walking School Bus Develops Healthy Kids and Parents
When Tracy Culley and her third-grade son Aaron moved into the Fairview School district in Columbia, Missouri, she heard about the Walking School Bus (WSB) program and the need for volunteer leaders. At the time, Tracy was trying to lose weight and her schedule allowed her to walk a group of kids to school three days a week, so she signed up and completed the training.
During the first two months as a WSB leader, Tracy lost 12-15 pounds. She credits her commitment to the WSB with keeping her active, as she walked two to three miles every day to school and back, in the mornings and afternoons. Her son made friends quickly with the kids on the WSB and the unstructured time allowed him and the other kids to get the excess energy out of their systems. Tracy is now a spokesperson for WSB volunteer leaders and tells her story during new volunteer training.
More than 160 kids in six Columbia schools enjoy the WSB program, which is the result of a partnership between the Columbia/Boone County Health Department and the PedNet Coalition. Since 2000, PedNet has been improving and expanding the access to and safety of Columbia’s bicycling, wheeling, and walking network. PedNet has received funding and support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Missouri Foundation for Health, and Bikes Belong.
Contacts:
Stacia Reilly
Columbia/Boone County Health Department
(573) 874-6345
srreilly@GoColumbiaMO.com
www.gocolumbiamo.com
Ian Thomas
PedNet Coalition
(573) 445-2928
ian@pednet.org
www.pednet.org
Missouri Partner Affiliates
Find out which organizations in your state have pledged their support for the Safe Routes to School movement. If your organization isn't yet a partner affilate, we would love for you to join us; it's free! Find more info on joining here.
Existing Legislation and Policies
More info coming soon.