State Legislators Tackle Safe Routes to School
National Conference of State Legislatures’ Fall Forum features update on the program.

On December 7, the Transportation Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures received an update from Tim Arnade, Safe Routes to School program manager from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Texas Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Robin Stallings. The Safe Routes to School program was implemented after the passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act—A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005.

There has been strong progress in the program’s first year of operation. All but one state (South Dakota) have appointed a state coordinator, in most cases housed within the state Department of Transportation. A few states have not yet hired a permanent staffer but are working under an interim coordinator.

One of the primary roles of the federal Safe Routes to School program has been to serve as a coordinating body for the state programs. In August, it held its first meeting in Washington, D.C., for all of the state coordinators to provide training and dialogue about the program. The USDOT has also contracted with the National Center for Safe Routes to School within the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center to provide a web-based clearinghouse for information on state programs, including those established on the state level before the federal funding was initiated in SAFETEA-LU.

The program has also established an advisory task force to study and develop a strategy for advancing safe routes to school programs nationwide. Its final report will be presented to Congress. Although ASLA is not represented on the task force, staff intends to monitor its activity and provide input whenever appropriate. If you are a landscape architect who has been involved in Safe Routes to School projects, please contact Government Affairs Coordinator Heather Morris, Associate ASLA. We want to hear about the work that landscape architects are doing in this important field.