Physical activity is a fundamental building block for good health, and states have a crucial role in promoting it. States’ actions are essential – enacting laws and policies to support active, healthy lifestyles, devoting staff and planning efforts to physical activity, and ensuring adequate funding for walking, bicycling, and physical activity.

These action briefs are a companion to the webinar "Maximizing City Involvement in Safe Routes to School: Educating Municipal Transportation Departments" that took place on June 20, 2013. Watch an audio-visual recording here. View Powerpoint slides: Gabe Graff, City of Portland- slides; Nancy Nichols, City of Fort Collins - slides.

This report provides guidance in working with MPOs and highlights lessons learned in the regions where the Safe Routes Partnership has concentrated efforts through the four-year implementation of the regional network project, which dedicates staff to effect change at the regional level. 

The complexities of engaging and educating your governor and state agency leaders on the benefits of policies and funding that support Safe Routes to School can feel daunting, but may be easier than you imagine.

These action briefs are a companion to the webinar "New Funding, New Partners, New Game 201: How to Build Safe Routes to School into Regional Governments" that took place on January 10, 2013. 

The report considers the state of walking and bicycling infrastructure in North Carolina, citing inequitable safety statistics for non-motorized transportation and focusing on state funding levels that fall far below what is needed for bicycle and pedestrian improvements or what is promised through state-level policy.

There are a variety of approaches to educating and engaging local elected officials as a part of your community’s Safe Routes to School movement.

These action briefs are a companion to the webinar "Maximizing Statewide Impact of Safe Routes to School: Educating Governors and State Agency Leaders" that took place on February 21, 2013.

This fact sheet provides a quick summary of the report cards' scoring structure.

This report gives some background information on Safe Routes to School and details challenges and opportunities in program implementation. 

Many local communities are eager to use transportation funding streams to create safe streets for people walking and bicycling. 

This fact sheet illustrates how to include walking and biking into comprehensive plans. 

Learn how you can use the report cards to communicate the importance of supportive state policies and highlight ideas for inspiring change in your state.

This report describes the strategies, partners, successes and lessons learned from the Safe Routes to School state network project in 20 states during 2010.

One of the best ways to make sure that walking, bicycling, and Safe Routes to School programs are vigorous and sustained over time in your district is to include these programs in school district policies.

The Safe Routes to School Local Policy Guide was published to help local communities and schools create, enact and implement policies which will support active and healthy community environments that encourage safe walking and bicycling and physical activity by children through a Health in All Policies approach. 

This brief profiles four MPOs, each of which used a thoughtful and innovative approach to TAP that was ultimately beneficial to the safety of children and families on the trip to and from school. 

In 2010 and 2011, the 20 state networks engaged more than 600 partner organizations and agencies in policy priorities based upon the following policy categories:

This tool is designed to help school board members, administrators, families of students, and community members create and implement district policies that support active transportation and Safe Routes to School programs. 

A toolkit for planning site visits and member meetings to build congressional champions for Safe Routes to School.

This factsheet helps communities understand how to use the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) to support healthy community design and active transportation.

The Safe Routes Partnership has developed an Educator's Guide for getting students active through Safe Routes to School. 

Two years ago, Congress made major modifications to the federal Safe Routes to School program. While those changes are still being rolled out by state departments of transportation, it is time to examine how different states have adapted to those changes and how the changes have impacted the availability of Safe Routes to School funds. 

Learn tips for advocating for policies that support Safe Routes to School.