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Safe Routes to School Program

New Opportunity for Air Quality Outreach

November, 2005—The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will spend more than $600 million over the next five years to promote the Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program—an initiative that helps finance local infrastructure projects and educational programs that encourage and enable primary and secondary school students to safely walk and ride bikes to school.

The measure also supports national health and environmental objectives to reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and air pollution, which is good news for some It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air Community Partners!

The SR2S program is part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), legislation signed into law last August that authorizes Federal surface transportation agendas for highways, highway safety, and transit.

SAFETEA-LU retains and increases funding for environmental programs that were in previous transportation laws, while adding new programs, such as SR2S, that also contain an environmental component.

"This is new and exciting federal legislation," said Tim Arnade, FHWA's SR2S program manager. State Departments of Transportation will administer no less than $1 million annually to qualifying State, local, and regional agencies, including non-profit organizations. "It's a very grassroots, non-traditional program," Arnade added.

While the lion's share of SR2S funding must be applied to infrastructure projects, 10 to 30 percent of it must go toward enforcement, public outreach, and education programs. The following non-infrastructure-related activities qualify for SR2S funding:

For It All Adds Up Community Partners and coalitions already doing safe routes education and outreach, now is a good time to present to your State DOTs your first-hand knowledge of the various partners involved and to emphasize the importance of developing a well-researched, effective education and outreach initiative.

For example, Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority (SCAPCA) has already developed "Move It!" an interactive, application-based workshop to teach middle- and high-school students the concepts and elements of community design that comprise a safe walking environment. Students use their skills to assess their school neighborhood, address safety issues, and brainstorm practical solutions. The ultimate goal of the project is to engage students in the act of public involvement, while making their school community safer for their schoolmates and pedestrians.

The Washington State DOT's SR2S program director could benefit from SCAPCA's experience with "Move It!" as well as SCAPCA's encouragement to work with other State DOTs to develop commercial-quality TV, radio, and print ads and educational materials in order to spread consistent SR2S messages nationwide…and for much less money than if each State developed its own materials!

"We all want these dollars to go as far as possible," Arnade said, noting that most States are currently appointing their SR2S program directors—a mandatory requirement of the legislation. "If you think your program might be a natural fit, contact your State DOT representative." Arnade said FHWA would post the names of State appointees as they become available at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/index.htm.

More information about the Safe Routes to School program is available at:

If it's safe to bicycle and walk in your community, please consider using the free, commercial-quality It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air TV, radio, and print ads and flyers that promote bicycling and walking. You can view them in the flyer of our alternate modes materials and download them at our website Download Center.