Safe Routes to School E-News
Issue #135: May 2017
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- Ask Congress to Join in Vision Zero
- Vision Zero and Safe Routes to School: Partners in Safety
- Bike to School Day is May 10! Register for the Fire Up Your Feet Walk/Bike/Roll to School Day Award
- San Francisco and San Jose Pursue Speed Cameras
- When Kids Walk to School, #WellnessWins
- Nothing Like a Bike
- Take a Survey for Action for Healthy Kids
- Featured Partner: PeopleForBikes
- Active Schools Fundraising
1. Ask Congress to Join in Vision Zero
Vision Zero dares to say that no one should die in a transportation crash and that “accidents” are no accident. And it’s an opportunity to take Safe Routes to School to the next level. Reps. Blumenauer (D-OR) and Buchanan (R-FL) have introduced the Vision Zero Act of 2017, which would provide grants to help communities develop and implement Vision Zero plans. Learn more in our federal update, and please ask your Representative to support the Vision Zero Act.
2. Vision Zero and Safe Routes to School: Partners in Safety
In case you missed it: A new report from the Safe Routes Partnership highlights how Vision Zero and Safe Routes to School advocates can leverage data-driven approaches to improve safety, advance equity, and focus investments in areas with the greatest needs first.
3. Bike to School Day is May 10! Register for the Fire Up Your Feet Walk/Bike/Roll to School Day Award
Bike to School Day is one week away and it’s not too late to plan an event. Check out the walkbiketoschool.org website and Facebook page for tips on organizing and planning an event in just 7 days.
Walk/Bike/Roll to School Day Award: If your school is participating in Walk/Bike 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. Register here.
4. San Francisco and San Jose Pursue Speed Cameras
The Safe Routes Partnership is supporting legislation, AB 342, that would permit the cities of San Francisco and San Jose to use automated cameras to reduce speeding. Speed is a major factor in the frequency and severity of crashes. An innovative and important aspect of the legislation is that it takes important steps to help reduce the impact of fines on low-income communities. The policy is a civil rather than a criminal penalty, and photos are only taken of the license plate to avoid privacy concerns and implicit or explicit racial bias. In addition, the cities will be required to assess and report on any disproportionate impact of the program on low-income residents. San Francisco recently launched a Financial Justice Project to assess and reform how fees and fines impact the cities’ most vulnerable residents.
AB 342 was passed out of the California Assembly’s Privacy Committee and was recently made into a two-year bill to be heard next year in Transportation Committee.
5. When Kids Walk to School, #WellnessWins
In schools across the country traditions exist in many forms, such as a back-to-school assembly or an annual field day. Several years ago in Monett, MO, the Monett R-1 School District set out (on foot!) to create a new tradition: walking to school. Since then, what started as a one-time walk-to-school event in the Monett, MO school district has evolved into a sustainable walking culture made stronger in the school wellness policy. A strong wellness policy helps districts create lasting healthy school environments that support learning. Nationwide, wellness is “winning” in many districts thanks to stronger nutrition and physical activity policies and practices. The #WellnessWins campaign empowers leaders like you to celebrate your successes and update your wellness policy by June 30. Whether you’ve already mastered your policy or are still strengthening it, #WellnessWins can help. Visit WellnessWins.org to explore free resources, inspiring success stories, an interactive quiz and more!
PeopleForBikes newest campaign, Nothing Like a Bike, features six stories about experiences that could not have happened without bicycles, from building community to falling in love to traveling the world. Read them all at peopleforbikes.org/nothinglikeabike.
7. Take the Action for Healthy Kids Survey
The Safe Routes Partnership is conducting a national survey with our school partners to gain a deeper understanding of schools’ motivations and needs to promote healthy school environments and healthy lifestyles for their students, and to work with external organizations to access programs, practices and resources to do this work.
Please complete this survey with input from others at your school (if applicable) who are working on promoting school health and healthy lifestyles for students. Ideally, we would like your survey responses to reflect the perspectives of all members of your school who have a role in promoting school health. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes, and can be completed during multiple sittings. Please complete the survey by May 26, 2017. The information you provide will impact the resources and services we offer schools.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolHealthAndWellnessNeedsAssessment9
8. Featured Partner: PeopleForBikes
"PeopleForBikes is like family for the Safe Routes Partnership, having supported the start of the organization more than 10 years ago. We thank PeopleForBikes for their continued support and are proud to continue our work together ensuring kids in all communities have the opportunity to safely bike and walk to school." - Cass Isidro, Executive Director, Safe Routes Partnership
Join PeopleForBikes here.
9. Raise Funds the Active and Healthy Way
There is still time--Raise funds using Active Schools Fundraising through May 31 for a chance to win water bottles, bike cameras, Safe Routes to School reflective products, bike racks, oversized fitness games and MORE! In fact, you only have to raise a minimum $100 to be eligible to win a prize. Raise more money for a chance to win many prizes! Check out all the prizes here.