As a longtime advocate who loves nothing more than getting kids on bikes, I was inspired and energized by the first North Carolina state network meeting!

A special thanks goes out to all the partners and passionate Safe Routes to School stakeholders who attended North Carolina’s first state network meeting on June 4in Chapel Hill. More than 35 participants joined in to learn where North Carolina was in the process, how we can all work together to reach our goals and share our successes. It was a dynamic and exciting meeting as people shared their passion and knowledge. 

Attendees included North Carolina’s Department of Transportation SRTS coordinator, Ed Johnson and Lauren Blackburn, manager of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Division, Risa Wilkerson of Active Living by Design and chair of the Safe Routes Partnership’s Steering Committee, Nancy Pullen-Seufert associate director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, Dave Janis, state network manager of the Safe Routes Partnership and a host of others from the American Heart Association, Alta Planning and many local planners. 

While a lot of important information was exchanged, two are worth noting that concern everyone in North Carolina working with Safe Routes to School.

The first is the release of a survey by the state Department of Transportation to capture the needs and successes of the award and grant process for the state. 

Please take the few moments to participate in the survey from the NCDOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation and then pass it on to others. It is important to gather as much information as we can over the next month to demonstrate our need for the program and support director Lauren Blackburn’s efforts to improve it.

Secondly, if you have not visited the National Center for Safe Routes to School to learn more about the program you are missing out. There you can find information about every awarded program and project across the United States, and a whole host of other information on their interactive project map. The website also includes a myriad of studies. 

Please stay tuned for the next update and news about how the program is advancing in North Carolina, how to get involved and be a part of the next state network meeting that may be coming to your town!

To join the North Carolina network, ask any questions or share your stories contact me today!