National Learning Network

As Safe Routes to School programs have increased across the country, a clear need for better data management at the national level has become apparent. Many communities have used Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping in assessments of the built environment, but because there is not a central place to store data, this information is stuck, in a sense, at the local level.

We have had a lot to be thankful for recently, excepting the lasting and tragic human impact of hurricane Sandy.

We travel just over two miles to school each day with our two boys - by bike, of course, most days. I am proud that my ten-year old son is now riding his six-year old brother to school on a tag-along! Both boys insist on it now. This picture shows the Big Guy showing off his tough guy face on a recent school trip.

This month has been a tough one for Safe Routes to School supporters.

Last week I was in a communications training with other nonprofit groups - a really good one, by the way, from Spitfire Communications, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We were tasked throughout the week with writing stories, creating elevator speeches and developing communications plans. I learned a lot.

In the US, men's cycling trips surpass women's by at least 2:1. So how do we change that? We start by simply inviting women to participate. On May 13, there were 163 women-focused rides in 14 countries, including the US.