Safe Routes to School E-News
Issue #33: September 2008
Safe Routes to School E-News is a monthly email newsletter published by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, a growing national network of more than 350 non-profit organizations, government agencies, and professional groups that are working to set goals, share best practices, secure funding, and provide detailed policy input to implementing agencies for advancing the Safe Routes to School national movement.
Please forward Safe Routes to School E-News to others who may be interested!
To receive future issues of E-News, email info@saferoutespartnership.org.
In this issue:
1. Take Action Now to Support Safe Routes to School in the Federal Transportation Bill
Sign onto our letter by October 31, 2008
2. The Partnership Releases Two Exciting New SRTS Reports
Reports focus on health and physical activity and state networks creating policy change
3. Engaging Congress in SRTS Through Site Visits and Member Meetings - New Toolkit Available
Invite your Congressional Member to your local Walk to School Day event!
4. Send Your Parent Surveys and Student Tallies to the NCSRTS
There is a three-week turnaround to receive your data report
5. International Walk to School Day is October 8 – Capture Your Event on Video and Submit to YouTube
Register your school today at www.walktoschool.org/register
6. Kaiser Permanente Promotes Healthy Lifestyles with New Bicycle Ads
“Community Bike” ad shows how healthy communities start with healthy individuals
7. Applications open for James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award
Deadline to apply is October 22 at 5:00pm Eastern Time
8. Delaware Completes First Federally-funded SRTS Infrastructure Project
The project provides a good example of teamwork and coordination
9. RWJF Awards Texas with a $2 Million Childhood Obesity Grant
Grant will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention policies
10. SRTS News Throughout the Country
Local and state SRTS program news links
1. Take Action Now to Support Safe Routes to School in the Federal Transportation Bill
Sign onto our letter by October 31, 2008
Congress will soon be taking up the new transportation bill, and this is a critical opportunity to sustain and expand funding for Safe Routes to School. Please sign your organization onto a letter to Congress that urges the inclusion of health performance outcomes in the next transportation bill. Currently, the U.S. federal government spends approximately $60 billion/year on transportation infrastructure. This outlay is dwarfed by the costs to our country resulting from the negative health impacts of transportation. Americans spend:
• $76 billion a year on health care costs related to physical inactivity, partly because many individuals cannot safely walk, bicycle, or access public transit;
• $164 billion a year on health care costs associated with traffic injuries and deaths; and
• Between $40 and $64 billion a year on health care costs associated with asthma and other health conditions related to high rates of air pollution.
If we work together, we can ask Congress to ensure that the next transportation bill recognizes these problems and sets a strong goal to reverse these negative outcomes of our current transportation system. This will provide a strong foundation for increased funding and supportive policies for safe routes to school, smart growth, safer communities for bicycling and walking, and complete streets. Please review the letter and follow the sign-on instructions at: http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/national/45755/45848. The deadline for organizational signatures is October 31, 2008.
Thank you very much for your help. Please contact Margo Pedroso with any questions.
2. The Partnership Releases Two Exciting New SRTS Reports
Reports focus on health and physical activity and state networks creating policy change
In September, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership released two exciting and informative reports that were prepared for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The first report, Safe Routes to School: Increases Physical Activity and Improves Health, indicates how Safe Routes to School is being institutionalized at select schools, and providing a mechanism to improve student and school health. Developing close collaborations with state and local health departments and community partners is critical to the success of Safe Routes to School. Four case studies showcase local communities that have successfully incorporated SRTS as a way to improve public health, and have institutionalized SRTS at select schools. Aspects of these case studies also address how health professionals are getting involved with SRTS efforts, how federally mandated Wellness Councils could be involved, and how these types of collaborations could be increased in the future. Benton County, OR; Eau Claire, WI; Flagstaff, AZ; and Garfield, NJ are featured. Click here to view the report.
The second report is called Safe Routes to School: State Networks Create Policy Change. In May of 2007, the SRTS National Partnership launched the State Network Project in the District of Columbia and nine key states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. The project creates state networks that bring together advocacy groups, government agencies, and other leaders to ensure that the SRTS federal program succeeds and to leverage additional resources, remove barriers to walking and bicycling to schools, and to create an institutional framework for generating long-term policy changes that will make it safer and easier for children to walk and bicycle to and from schools. Click here to view the full report and to learn more about how state networks can create policy change.
If you would like a high resolution copy of either report, please contact Brooke Driesse.
3. Engaging Congress in SRTS Through Site Visits and Member Meetings – New Toolkit Available
Invite your Congressional Member to your local Walk to School Day event!
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has created a new resource called, A Toolkit for Building Congressional Champions, to help you plan an event or meeting with your Member of Congress.
It’s important that local SRTS advocates let their Members of Congress know the positive impact that federal SRTS dollars are having on children and families in their communities. With your help, we can convince Congress to strengthen and increase funding for SRTS.
International Walk to School Day, on October 8, 2008, provides a perfect opportunity to invite your Congressional member to an event that is already in the works. Reach out to your member’s scheduler soon to try and get it on their calendar as Walk to School Day is less than three weeks away!
The toolkit contains step-by-step instructions, templates, tools and resources to conceptualize the event or meeting, invite your Member of Congress, and carry out a successful event or meeting. The toolkit is available in two formats:
• Download the entire toolkit in .pdf
• Browse through the toolkit and download just the pieces you need in word or .pdf formats
If you have any questions on engaging your Members of Congress, please contact Margo Pedroso with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
4. Send Your Parent Surveys and Student Tallies to the NCSRTS
There is a three-week turnaround to receive your data report
The National Center for Safe Routes to School provides resources to help make collecting and summarizing data as easy and straightforward as possible for communities and states. These resources help those involved in local programs collect, enter, and analyze their data. There are many benefits to collecting data related to Safe Routes to School. At the local level, it can help guide the planning process and give information as to how the program is working. At the same time, many states require applicants and recipients of the SRTS funds to participate in the national data collection effort.
The weeks leading up to International Walk and Bike to School Day are a crucial time to begin collecting data, if you haven’t done so already. If you wait until after Walk and Bike to School Day, your baseline data will likely reflect an increase in the number of children walking and bicycling to school as a result of a successful event. We encourage you to collect these “pre-numbers” now, and send your parent surveys and student tallies to the National Center for Safe Routes to School. You can mail them your data, they will enter it into the system for you, and you should get your data report in approximately three weeks.
Click here to visit the National Center’s website more information on collecting, entering, and using Safe Routes to School data.
5. International Walk to School Day is October 8 – Capture Your Event on Video and Submit to YouTube
Register your school today at www.walktoschool.org/register
International Walk to School Day is taking place next month on October 8, 2008. Over 1,600 schools are currently registered! For those of you planning a Walk to School Day event, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership asks you to consider bringing along a video camera to get live footage of your local event. You can then post your short video on www.youtube.com. This will help spread the message of Safe Routes to School far and wide by showing the popularity and excitement associated with Safe Routes to School.
To register an event, please visit www.walktoschool.org/register. As always, registration is free and available to all Walk to School event organizers in the USA. By registering, Walk to School organizers have a chance to win prizes for students and gain access to a variety of downloadable items, including certificates, printable sticker templates, media materials and more. Registrants can also subscribe to a Walk to School e-newsletter with tips and resources for walk to school events.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School serves as the national coordinating agency for International Walk to School events in the USA. For more information please contact the National Center for Safe Routes to School at 1-866-610-SRTS. For more information on planning and resources for Walk to School activities, and to stay up-to-date on Walk to School news, please visit www.walktoschool.org.
6. Kaiser Permanente Promotes Healthy Lifestyles with New Bicycle Ads
“Community Bike” ad shows how healthy communities start with healthy individuals
Kaiser Permanente recently launched the fifth season of its popular Thrive advertising campaign, with television, radio, print and outdoor advertisements that reflect the health care organization’s commitment to the total health of its members and the communities it serves. Previous campaigns reinforced Kaiser Permanente’s focus on prevention, wellness, and "thriving" at every stage of life. The newest season’s theme is "Spread Health," and highlights the work that the organization does to spread health beyond the doctor’s office, sharing information about all the things that contribute to good health and resources in the community to better the health of everyone.
In a new television ad, "Community Bike," a bicycle is passed on from rider to rider, from neighborhood to neighborhood, showing people of all ages, genders, physical disabilities and cultural backgrounds. The ad is a metaphor for the concept that healthy communities start with healthy individuals, and when we share or spread health, everyone can benefit. Click here to access to ad, and please send this link on to your email contacts.
7. Applications Open for James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award
Deadline to apply is October 22 at 5:00pm Eastern
The National Center for Safe Routes to School announced that applications are being accepted for the 2008 Oberstar Award. The Oberstar Award is given annually to an exemplary SRTS program in the United States. Application information is available at www.saferoutesinfo.org/oberstar. The deadline to apply is 5:00pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 22.
This year, the Oberstar Award will recognize the impact of the Federal Safe Routes to School program at the local level. The award specifically will recognize outstanding achievement by a school or community in establishing a Safe Routes to School program that has benefited from Federal funding.
The award is named for Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) to honor his dedication to American school children as the pioneer for the national Safe Routes to School Program. Oberstar, current chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sponsored the national Safe Routes to School legislation that strives to create safe settings to enable more parents and children to walk and bicycle to school.
Last year, the award recognized outstanding achievement by a Department of Transportation in establishing their State’s program. Michigan’s Department of Transportation earned the Oberstar Award for 2007. Among Michigan’s accomplishments were the development of a handbook for schools and the establishment of training and technical assistance for schools completing the planning process.
8. Delaware Completes First Federally-funded SRTS Infrastructure Project
The project provides a good example of teamwork and coordination
Delaware has completed its first federally-funded SRTS infrastructure project at North Smyrna Elementary School in the Town of Smyrna. There were three parts to the project, including: an updated crossing on the school campus; an updated crossing on Providence Drive, a side street along which is a primary walking route to the school; and school zone signage improvements on N. Main St., the street on which the school fronts. A state-funded maintenance contract was also used to repave N. Main St. and update curb ramps and crosswalks along the road. The project is a good example of teamwork and coordination between multiple sections of the Delaware Department of Transportation, the Smyrna School District, and the Town of Smyrna.
Three additional construction projects are either underway or about to begin in Delaware. These include another project near North Smyrna Elementary School, a project at Clayton Elementary School in the Town of Clayton, and a project at Henry M. Brader Elementary School in New Castle County. All three schools have also been awarded non-infrastructure funding for education, encouragement, and enforcement activities, such as walking school buses, walking clubs, and crossing guard equipment. Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary in Dover, DE continues its federally-funded non-infrastructure SRTS efforts this year as well.
Eight additional schools throughout the State are in different phases of the SRTS planning process and are expected to complete planning by early spring 2009. These planning efforts include identifying both types of SRTS projects for implementation.
Statewide SRTS efforts continue as well and include a media campaign to continue to spread the word about the availability of SRTS. Other activities under development include SRTS contests and bicycle and pedestrian safety workbooks that will be available for children throughout the State.
For more information about Delaware’s SRTS Program, please contact the SRTS Coordinator, Sarah Coakley or by phone at (302)760-2236. Program information is also available at www.srts.deldot.gov.
9. RWJF Awards Texas with a $2 Million Childhood Obesity Grant
Grant will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention policies
Texas is one of three states recently awarded $2 million by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to evaluate the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention policies. Other states named with Texas to receive the current grants were New York and Mississippi.
Two key childhood obesity prevention policies will be evaluated: Texas Safe Routes to School program, a program encouraging students to be more physically active by walking to school, and food allocation package revisions administered through Texas Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The purpose of the grants is to inform decision makers about the effectiveness of these two childhood obesity prevention policies. These studies will also help local, state and national policymakers identify policies that work toward promoting children’s healthy eating and increased physical activity.
This grant is unique in that the size and diversity of Texas will allow for a large study of underserved populations, determining how these policies affect different segments of the at-risk population, including the Hispanic/Latino population along the Texas/Mexico border. This award builds on previous work conducted in Texas to combat childhood obesity, including the School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) survey, a statewide surveillance system that monitors the prevalence of obesity in school-aged children. States previously awarded similar grants from RWJF were Arkansas, Delaware, and West Virginia.
Co-leading the program will be Deanna Hoelscher, Ph.D., R.D., professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus and director of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, and Marcia Ory, Ph.D., Regents Professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health. Project director will be Diane Dowdy, Ph.D., from the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health. Dr. Hoelscher stated: "This grant is historic in that it brings together researchers from both the University of Texas School of Public Health and Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, as well as a statewide consortium of other academic institutions, community groups and stakeholders in a focused effort to address one of the most significant public health issues of our time- childhood obesity."
10. SRTS News Throughout the Country
Local and state SRTS program news links
Safe Routes to School news around the country keeps growing! Updated regularly, see our new SRTS in the News media center for the latest in local, state, and national SRTS news.
Help Grow the Partnership!
Joining the Partnership is free. Please encourage other organizations, schools, businesses, and government agencies to join the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
Funding for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership has been generously provided by the Bikes Belong Coalition, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and partner affiliates.
For more information, contact:
Deb Hubsmith, Director
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
deb@saferoutespartnership.org
www.saferoutespartnership.org
(415) 454-7430