January 2020 E-News

Safe Routes to School E-News
Issue #166: January 2020

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

  1. Safe Routes to School Program Census Project: 2019 National Program Assessment Report
  2. Safe Routes to School District Policy Workbook
  3. ICYMI: Ten Reflections to Kick Off 2020
  4. Creating Safe Routes to Parks in Bakersfield, California
  5. Infographic: The Benefits of Safe Routes to School
  6. T2020: Rethinking the Next Generation of Transportation Investments in the Greater Portland Metro Region
  7. Meet Bri Whitcraft, Safe Routes Partnership Board Member
  8. Introducing Safe Routes to School: New Video to Share and Use in Your Work

1. Safe Routes to School Program Census Project: 2019 National Program Assessment Report

The Safe Routes Partnership has released the first-ever national assessment of Safe Routes to School programs in the United States as part of a new report, “The Safe Routes to School Program Census Project: 2019 National Program Assessment Report.” This report provides an overview of the state of Safe Routes to School programming in the United States and a high-level assessment of challenges, innovations, and opportunities for Safe Routes to School programs. The findings in the report are based on a national survey of Safe Routes to School programs across the country, exploring policies, practices, and funding for programmatic activities, that was conducted in 2019.


2. Safe Routes to School District Policy Workbook

Interested in creating or strengthening a school district Safe Routes to School policy? Our Safe Routes to School District Policy Workbook walks you through a series of policy options to help you build your own customized Safe Routes to School policy, which you can use in your community. This tool is designed to help school board members, administrators, families of students, and community members create and implement district policies that support active transportation and Safe Routes to School programs. 


3. ICYMI: Ten Reflections to Kick Off 2020

As we kick off 2020, Safe Routes Partnership executive director Cass Isidro shares 10 reflections inspired by the Safe Routes to School National Conference.


4. Creating Safe Routes to Parks in Bakersfield, California

Stiern Park in Bakersfield, CA offers recreational and physical activity opportunities to the surrounding neighborhoods, but residents have long voiced concerns about speeding vehicles and unsafe driver behavior that prevented people from easily walking and biking to the park. As part of the Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities program, the Greenfield Walking Group collaborated with youth and community members to organize a park clean-up and activity day to engage residents around making the park safer and more accessible on foot and bike.


5. Infographic: The Benefits of Safe Routes to School

Safe Routes to School has so many community benefits - health, economic, academic, safety, climate, and more! Use this infographic to highlight the benefits of Safe Routes to School in your community materials.


6. T2020: Rethinking the Next Generation of Transportation Investments in the Greater Portland Metro Region

We are proud to be founding members of the Getting There Together Coalitionand recently joined with other community leaders to analyze the recommended list of projects and put forward our own recommendations that lead with the values of equity, safety, affordability, and climate in the Portland Metro Region. Read more.


7. Meet Bri Whitcraft, Safe Routes Partnership Board Member

Bri Whitcraft is the director of marketing and product development at Dero, where she revels in being a bike parking nerd and bicycle advocate. She loves biking in nearly all forms from slow rolls to bike camping to track racing, especially with fellow femme/trans/women/non-binary folx. She is a former board member of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and co-founded the Minnesota Chapter of APBP (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals). Meet Bri and the rest of our board of directors.


8. Introducing Safe Routes to School: New Video to Share and Use in Your Work

We are happy to share the video that was shown at the close of the final lunch plenary at the Safe Routes to School National Conference. Please use, share, and adapt for your work!