March 2017

Safe Routes to School E-News
Issue #133: March 2017

Safe Routes to School E-News is a monthly email newsletter published by the Safe Routes Partnership. We are also on Facebook and Twitter. Join us!

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  1. Federal Update: Consulting the Crystal Ball on Infrastructure
  2. New Case Studies on Active Transportation Funding, Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, Shared Use, and Environmental Justice
  3. New Fact Sheets: The Role of Transit in Safe Routes to Healthy Food
  4. Free Webinar: Innovative Bicycling Programs for Youth
  5. New Fire Up Your Feet Spring Activity Challenge Awards
  6. 2017 Impact Award Finalist: Please Vote!
  7. Active Schools Fundraising and Fire Up Your Feet: A Winning Combination!
  8. Orange County, CA Works Together to Advance Active Transportation
  9. Be Safe – Be Seen Product Line Benefits the Safe Routes Partnership
  10. Take the PeopleForBikes Community Survey
  11. Featured Partner: I’m Safe

1. Federal Update: Consulting the Crystal Ball on Infrastructure

More than one month in to the Trump Administration, we take a look at the President’s promises to invest in infrastructure spending and the barriers that must be solved first. Read more in our federal policy blog.

2. New Case Studies on Active Transportation Funding, Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, Shared Use, and Environmental Justice

The Safe Routes Partnership and Voices for Healthy Kids are pleased to release a series of seven case studies on successful campaigns to increase physical activity throughout the nation. These new resources tell the stories of state-level and local-level campaign wins for active transportation funding, Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, shared use, and environmental justice policies, and provide examples of how communities and organizations can advance policies and programs that institutionalize support for walking, biking, physical activity, and healthy communities. 

3. New Fact Sheets: The Role of Transit in Safe Routes to Healthy Food

The Wheels on the Bus Go to the Grocery Store: This fact sheet outlines the role of transit agencies in improving food access, offers examples from transit agencies across the country, and shares solutions that will allow transit agencies to create or strengthen the connection between neighborhoods and grocery stores.

Mind the Gap: Using Public Transportation to Connect Neighborhoods and Grocery Stores: Traveling outside the neighborhood for food access can be complicated without a car. This two-page fact sheet describes why public transit matters for food access and strategies for improving healthy food access.

4. Free Webinar: Innovative Bicycling Programs for Youth

This webinar will explore creative and effective innovations happening in the realm of young people and bicycling. Speakers will discuss programming and education efforts that relate to youth bicycling, describing successful programs from states as diverse as Minnesota, Washington, and Arizona. Topics will include engaging, equity-focused local programs as well as statewide bicycle education efforts.
 
When: March 29th at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register here
 
Speakers:

  • Michelle Kiefer, Safe Routes to School Program Manager, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota
  • Shannon Koller, Senior Director of Education, Cascade Bicycle Club
  • Colby Henley and Vanessa Cascio, Living Streets Alliance

5. New Fire Up Your Feet Spring Activity Challenge Awards

The Safe Routes Partnership makes it easy for your school to get motivated to be active when you participate in the Fire Up Your Feet Activity Challenge! It’s free to participate, and your school could win cash awards to support walking, biking, and physical activity programs.
 
Spring Activity Challenge dates:

  • April 15-May 15 in California, Colorado, Hawaii, and Metro Atlanta
  • May 1-31 in Oregon, SW Washington, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC

Walk/Bike/Roll to School Day Award: If your school is participating in Walk/Bike/Roll to School Day on May 10th, 2017, track your activity for a chance to win! Schools tracking any form of active transportation (i.e., walking, biking, and/or rolling) activity for 20 or more students on May 10th, 2017 will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 Bike to School Day Award.
 
Specialized Water Bottle Award: Any school that tracks activity for 20 participants or more will be entered into a drawing to win 100 Specialized water bottles.
 
SPARK Physical Education Award: The school that tracks the highest total minutes spent in “SPARK Physical Education” will receive a Sportime PE Starter Pack (choice of K-2, 3-6, 6-8) (value $419.99-$799.99). Schools with a minimum of 20 participants tracking SPARK Physical Education are eligible.
 
Visit fireupyourfeet.org to sign up today!

 

6. 2017 Impact Award Finalist: Please Vote!

The Safe Routes Partnership has been selected as a finalist for the Care2 2017 Impact Award. We were nominated for the impact of our #MoveEquity Tweetchat campaign. The campaign with the most votes will win the Impact Award and $1,000. This award will elevate the impact we are making to ensure kids of every income, race, ability, and ethnicity—especially in low-income communities & communities of color—have safe routes & access to healthy communities.

Thanks to many of you and our partners in 2016, we reached almost 1 million people and more than 6 million people were impacted with each #MoveEquity Tweetchat.
 
Cast your vote here by Saturday. Select our name and include your email—that’s how easy it is to vote. Please share with family, friends, and your network.
 
You can only vote once. Voting closes at midnight on March 4, 2017.

7. Active Schools Fundraising and Fire Up Your Feet: A Winning Combination!

Participating in Fire Up Your Feet? Interested in raising funds the active and healthy way? Find out how easy it is to combine Active Schools Fundraising and Fire Up Your Feet to raise even more money for your school.
 
Join the Safe Routes Partnership on March 8th to learn about Active Schools Fundraising and Fire Up Your Feet: A Winning Combination! Register here.
 
Attendees will learn:

  • How to create an Active Schools Fundraising team 
  • New active and healthy fundraising ideas 
  • How to sign up for Fire Up Your Feet 
  • How to add online fundraising to Fire Up Your Feet 
  • How to win awards and prizes!

8. Orange County, CA Works Together to Advance Active Transportation

2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year for active transportation in Orange County, CA. The Safe Routes Partnership has partnered with the Alliance for a Healthy Orange County to launch the Orange County Active Transportation Network. More than 20 representatives from cities, county agencies, and local community organizations participated at the Network’s first meeting on January 30. Together, they are helping envision how the group can strengthen opportunities to support education, resource sharing, and funding for active transportation across Orange County.

Network members are currently drafting a shared vision document with goals to guide what the network seeks to accomplish throughout the county. For example, a key task will be to encourage the use of new active transportation policy tools in Orange County and to ensure that planning decisions are reflective of the County’s diverse communities and needs. Be sure to check in on the Safe Routes to School California website for future updates, or join the network by contacting Andrew Pasillas at Andrew@saferoutespartnership.org. 

9. Be Safe – Be Seen Product Line Benefits the Safe Routes Partnership

ImSafe has graciously partnered with the Safe Routes Partnership to offer a Be Safe - Be Seen product line that will benefit the Safe Routes Partnership. Plus, a discount for you! 
 
ImSafe is providing you a 10-20 percent discount plus 5 percent net sale proceeds to the Safe Routes Partnership on all orders that use code SRTS20. Check out the new Be Safe - Be Seen product line here. Products can be customized with your logo, name, message, at no additional charge. Get ready for spring and summer events—consider these pedestrian and bicycle safety reflective items and more!

10. Take the PeopleForBikes Community Survey

Take the PeopleForBikes Community Survey and help make bike riding better in your hometown. Anyone can participate regardless of where, how or why they ride. Your feedback will help determine your city’s rank and guide improvements to bicycle networks as part of the PlacesForBikes initiative.

11. Featured Partner: I’m Safe

For 20 years, I’m Safe has served schools and Safe Routes to School programs by providing affordable incentives and research-based education materials. Want custom rewards for active students? Need to make walk-to-school kids more visible? I’m Safe has it all! imsafe.com

A big thank you to ImSafe for offering a discount for you and providing the Safe Routes Partnership with a proceed.