November 2020

Safe Routes to School E-News
Issue #176: November 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. Apply for the 2021 Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities Program 
  2. Guest Blog Post: Leading Virtual Walk Audits with the YMCA's Safe Routes Student Ambassador Program
  3. Fact Sheet: Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Parks
  4. Boosting Active Transportation Through Regional Transportation Plans
  5. Webinar: Advancing Safe Routes to Parks in the Time of Coronavirus
  6. The Elections and Transportation in 2021
  7. Seeking an Equitable Approach to California’s Transportation Plans
  8. ICYMI: All Partnership Webinars are Recorded

1. Apply for the 2021 Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities Program

The Safe Routes Partnership invites communities and organizations working to improve safe, equitable access to local parks to apply for the 2021 Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities program. The program provides tailored technical assistance, along with a $12,500 award for seven nonprofit organizations to develop and initiate action plans to increase safe and equitable access to parks and green space in their communities.

Applications are now being accepted with a deadline of December 18, 2020.


2. Guest Blog Post: Leading Virtual Walk Audits with the YMCA's Safe Routes Student Ambassador Program

Jack Kelly, a senior at Shenendehowa High School in Saratoga County, New York, recently completed the YMCA’s Safe Routes to School student ambassador program. Jack shares reflections from his project to improve sidewalks and walkability in his community.


 

3. Fact Sheet: Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Parks

Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Parks both focus on providing safe, convenient, and healthy ways for people to get to important community destinations. This fact sheet outlines how Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Parks programming and advocacy can align to achieve shared goals and accomplish even more than each could do separately.


 

4. Boosting Active Transportation Through Regional Transportation Plans

Regional policies have a profound impact on the safety, convenience, and ability of children to be able to walk and bicycle to schools and be more physically active in daily life. This fact sheet draws on our extensive experience focusing on policy work at the federal level to lay out success stories, best practices, and resources for anyone looking to ensure a region-wide commitment to safer, more convenient streets for biking and walking.


 

5. Webinar: Advancing Safe Routes to Parks in the Time of Coronavirus

On Wednesday, December 2nd at 2:00 PM Eastern/11:00 AM Pacific, Safe Routes Partnership is hosting a free one-hour webinar welcoming participants from this year’s Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities program to share about their work and how they shifted their activities in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more and register.


 

6. The Elections and Transportation in 2021

Now that Election week is over, and Joe Biden has been declared the next President, we wanted to take a few minutes to look forward to 2021. Learn more in our latest federal policy update.


7. Seeking an Equitable Approach to California’s Transportation Plans

CalTrans has released a draft California Transportation Plan 2050 that lays out strategies for the state’s transportation over the next thirty years. Along with partners from the ClimatePlan coalition, the California regional network submitted a comment letter supporting key parts of the plan, while also advocating that the final plan address a commitment to equity and public health.


 

8. ICYMI: All Partnership Webinars are Recorded

If you’ve missed a Safe Routes Partnership webinar, never fear, all our webinars are recorded and posted on our website so you can watch at your convenience to catch up on content you may have missed.