Creating Streets Where We All Feel Safe and Respected
By Katharine Bierce, Sara Zimmerman, and Norma Tassy
Spreading the Word on the Upcoming Surgeon General’s Call to Action on Walking and Walkability
By Michelle Lieberman, Molly O’Reilly and Katharine Bierce
Ask your Senator: Speak Up for Safe Routes to School
At a time when bicycling and walking represents 12 percent of all trips, dozens of cities are added bikesharing and thousands of schools are implementing Safe Routes to School programs, some in Congress want to take away the small amount of funding Congress invests in bicycling and walking.
Two New Bills to Advance Safe Routes to School, Bicycling and Walking
Congressional supporters have introduced two new pieces of legislation to advance funding and safety for bicycling and walking. The Safe Routes Partnership is pleased to support both bills.
What’s at Stake This Spring in Congress
If you have been paying attention to how Congress has handled transportation over the past several years, you’d be justified in thinking that this May’s expiration of the MAP-21 transportation law will get pushed back by months and that you don’t need to pay attention to transportation this spring.
Congress Casts About for Transportation Funding Solution
As the new Congress convenes, pressure is on legislators to keep transportation dollars flowing. The current transportation law, MAP-21, expires in just four months in May 2015.
In the Wake of the Midterm Elections, Some Big Changes Coming to Capitol Hill
The results of the November 4th elections were exactly what pollsters and political prognosticators had been indicating since early summer: a number of Republican pickups in the House, and enough wins in the Senate to take control for the first time since 2008. You can read more about the changes coming to Congress and what that might mean for walking and biking programs in our latest federal policy blog.
Two New Publications Highlight Federal Safe Routes to School Policy
This week, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership published a new policy report with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, entitled Safe Routes to School: How States are Adapting to a New Legislative Framework. Additionally, we updated our Snapshot of State Implementation of the Transportation Alternatives Program. While both provide a still incomplete picture of how Safe Routes to School is faring under the now two-year-old Transportation Alternatives Program, the report in particular gives some reason for optimism. Read more about both on this month's federal policy blog.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces Major New Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Initiative
Advocates for bicycle and pedestrian safety are celebrating a significant victory this week, with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx announcing a number of new safety initiatives to be undertaken at the USDOT. The announcement, made by Secretary Foxx at this week's Pro Walk, Pro Bike, Pro Place conference, couldn’t be better timed, with injuries and deaths for bicyclists and pedestrians on the rise across the nation.
A Perfect Time to Engage Your Members of Congress
August may be slow here in Washington D.C., but the coming several months are a great time for you at home to highlight the changes Safe Routes to School are making in your community.