On Tuesday October 2nd I sat on a panel of four witnesses to testify in front of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit on the federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.
The SRTS program enacted in 2005 as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), was funded at $612 million over five years for implementation in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
According to Subcommittee Chairman Peter DeFazio (Ore.), “SAFETEA-LU reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to make America a safer, healthier nation through broad funding eligibility for bicycling and walking projects,†journalist Amy Phillips reports.
Ms Phillips continues, “Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (Minn), who authored the provision, said the program was in response to ‘an unsettling trend. In the last 40 years, the number of kids walking and biking to school has dropped precipitously, from nearly half to less than 15 percent.’â€
“Oberstar said the Routes to School program offers a unique opportunity ‘to change the habits of an entire generation.’ Walking and biking are both environmentally-friendly and kid-friendly, he said. ‘Let’s teach our kids now that they do not have to be dependent on cars as their sole mode of transportation.’”
Panelists Speak
The subcommittee heard testimony from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and the Kansas Safe Routes to School State Coordinator.
We reported that the program is popular and is increasing the number of children bicycling and walking through leveraging diverse partnerships in the communities nationwide.
As of June 2007, 29 states had announced specific funding recipients totaling $94.5 million for local or statewide Safe Routes to School activities.
We also reported challenges that include heavy administrative costs for small grants. In Oregon, the Oregon Department of Transportation – Transportation Safety Division is seeking to streamline the funding process for small projects and is encouraging communities to bundle projects at multiple schools to reduce administrative costs.
A new national report on the progress of SRTS was release the day before by the National Partnership of Safe Routes to School. View the Text of the report here.
Additional information on the subcommittee hearing, including background and written testimony.
