February 2019

Safe Routes to School E-News
Issue #155: February 2019

Safe Routes to School E-News is a monthly email newsletter published by the Safe Routes Partnership. We are also on Facebook and Twitter. Join us!

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  1. Announcing Carol Goss as Our New Board Chair
  2. Congressional Leaders Speak Out on Safe Routes, Biking, and Walking
  3. Reminder: Submit Safe Routes to School Conference Proposals by Feb. 22
  4. Making Complete Streets a Reality in Birmingham, Alabama
  5. Active Transportation Consulting for Local Communities
  6. Share Your Feedback on Our Recent Publications
  7. Southwest Washington Setting Transportation Vision
  8. America's Roads are Dangerous By Design
  9. Get 10% Off I'm Safe Bike/Ped Products and Proceeds Benefit Safe Routes to School
  10. Join the Movement for Better Biking With PeopleForBikes

1. Announcing Carol Goss as our New Board Chair

The Safe Routes Partnership is proud to announce Carol Goss as the new Chair of the Board of Directors. Carol has served as a board member for the Safe Routes Partnership for five years and has been a strong force in leading and shaping the organization’s vision for equity and the work of the board. Meet Carol and read about her vision for her new role as Board Chair.


2. Congressional Leaders Speak Out on Safe Routes, Biking, and Walking

The House and Senate transportation committee leadership has been set, and several of these new leaders are already speaking out in support of Safe Routes to School and improving safety for people biking and walking. Read our federal update for more about these leaders who will be shaping the next transportation bill and their remarks on biking and walking.


3. Reminder: Submit Safe Routes to School Conference Proposals by Feb. 22

Showcase your community’s innovative and creative approaches to creating equitable, healthy, active communities and exchange ideas with leading Safe Routes to School and active transportation professionals at the Safe Routes to School Conference in Tampa this November. Submit your proposal byFebruary 22, 2019!


4. Making Complete Streets a Reality in Birmingham, Alabama

In Birmingham, Alabama, there were two reasons people weren't riding bikes in the Smithfield and Titusville neighborhoods.. First, the streets weren't safe for biking and walking. Second, there was a stigma against bicycling in Birmingham's African American communities. Read about how Zyp BikeShare hosted a tactical urbanism project to help shift attitudes and build support for bicycling in Birmingham.


5. Active Transportation Consulting for Local Communities

Need help launching your Safe Routes to School program or taking it to the next level? The Safe Routes Partnership's coaching and consulting program offers expertise in Complete Streets, active transportation, and Safe Routes to School programmatic and policy scenarios, from the challenges of rural communities to the opportunities in underserved neighborhoods. Our national experts have diverse skills and backgrounds and are experienced with the challenges of making change on the local level.


6. Share Your Feedback on Our Recent Publications

Recently we released two new publications focused on Complete Streets and bicycle and pedestrian plans and active transportation financing. If you have consulted either of these reports, we'd like to hear your thoughts on whether they were informative and useful. Your feedback will help us tailor and improve our future publications to ensure we're delivering information that is relevant, clear, and supports the work of active transportation and Safe Routes to School professionals. This survey should take about 10-15 minutes.


7. Southwest Washington Setting Transportation Vision

Clark County, Washington – home to Vancouver, WA – is asking the public for input on their Regional Transportation Plan. This plan will guide transportation decisions in the region for decades to come. In our view, the current draft needs a stronger focus on improving transportation options that also increase mobility, safety, air quality, and physical activity.  Comments are due by February 25; read more about our thoughts on the plan and how to comment in our Pacific Network Regional Network news.


8. America's Roads are Dangerous by Design

Pedestrian deaths are preventable and unacceptable, but virtually guaranteed thanks to streets that are designed for cars, not people. The new Dangerous by Design report explores why our streets aren’t getting safer, which communities are most dangerous for people walking,  and why states and regions in the South, older adults, people of color, and people walking in low-income communities bear a higher share of this harm.


9. Get 10% Off I'm Safe Bike/Ped Products and Proceeds Benefit Safe Routes to School

During February and March, use code SRTS19 when you order biking and walking products and reflectives from I’m Safe to take advantage of 10% off with proceeds benefiting the Safe Routes Partnership.

  • Save 10% on quality reflectives and safety education materials, customized for your school or organization
  • If you are a new customer, I’m Safe will also donate a portion of the proceeds back to the SRTS Safe Routes Partnership

10. Join the Movement for Better Bicycling

PeopleForBikes is working to make bike riding safer, easier and more accessible. Add your name and support better bicycling where you live!