If you can measure it, you can manage it. 

I often think of this business mantra each day as I step on the scale, track my calories and log every minute and mile of physical activity as I pursue a healthier lifestyle. (And apologies to my Facebook friends who are tiring of my new found apps and the postings to cheer me on!)

But beyond those apps, I am seeing that something interesting happens after my incessant tracking of calories burned and pounds shed. It isn't about that number as much any more. I am going beyond the numbers and going a little deeper; changing my lifestyle for the better.

Measuring is great for getting to a goal. And then the really cool stuff starts to happen...lasting change.

I also think about this mantra when we engage with new partner affiliates. I am pysched with our growing number of partner affiliates. (Here is the cheer us on part!)  With more than 20 new partners such as the Queensland Department of Transportation, the Transportation Public Health Link and Silver Beach Elementary School joining since the start of new year, we have now topped 620 partner affiliates.

But the really cool stuff is how these partners engage with us and make our Safe Routes to School movement stronger. Here are a few examples:

• The National PTA, a long time national partner affiliate, and its delegates attending the 116th Annual National Conference in June, passed a resolution focused on Safe Routes to School. The resolution calls for PTAs across the country to work with school administrations and local officials to call attention to and improve unsafe walking and bicycling routes to schools. Stay tuned for more details about this growing partnership with PTAs and Safe Routes to School.
• The Arkansas Parks and Recreation Association joined just last month and immediately reached out to us to feature the Safe Routes Partnership in their monthly newsletter. Sharing our messages and action alerts is a powerful way to have collective impact.
• This week Safe Routes to School leader and close partner, the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, was awarded the Outstanding Prevention Coalition Award in Wisconsin. Their award further highlights the importance of connecting with partners across health, social equity, transportation and education at the local level.

Mobilizing our partners, sharing successes and deeply engaging, as these partner highlights have shown, will help us all to capitalize on our strength in numbers! It is free to join the Safe Routes Partnership and we hope to continue to grow our ranks, please consider joining as a partner affiliate today.