Navigating Change Together:
Our Commitment to the Safe Routes to School Community
Instead of the cheery “20th anniversary of Safe Routes to School” message we had planned to release, we take this moment to acknowledge how current events affect the Safe Routes to School movement, and most importantly the people who make up this field.
Actions taken by the White House in recent weeks undermine and threaten people and issues many of us care deeply about. We want to start by saying: nothing about this is normal, and like other upheavals in recent life, it can be hard to focus amidst so much uncertainty. It can feel destabilizing to witness dismantling of structures we thought were sturdy. And it is downright frightening to feel the personal attacks on members of our community whose humanity we fully see, embrace, and aim to protect.
We remain unwavering in our organizational values of being a friendly, helpful, curious learning organization. We know that we cannot achieve our mission without centering the lives and lived experiences of people and communities that have been marginalized by transportation policy and funding decisions. Equity as one of the Six E’s remains the foundation of the Safe Routes to movement, and we will continue to prioritize the people and places who can benefit from this work the most.
In the coming months, you can expect us to do what we have always done in times of uncertainty – listen, learn, and lead. We will continue to help you make sense of how this shifting federal landscape affects Safe Routes to School, walking, and bicycling; connect you with one another; and provide guidance as best we can. In this moment, we aim to counter uncertainty and fear with knowledge and action. Read our analysis of current events and their influence on Safe Routes to School and suggestions for actions you can take. Together, we keep putting one foot in front of another, taking steps toward the future we want to create – both physically and figuratively.
It might feel like whiplash from the outlook on transportation from even just a month ago. If you are feeling uncertain or overwhelmed, know you are not alone. Safe Routes to School is a tool for building community – both at the hyperlocal level, where we get to know our neighbors through organizing Walking School Buses and Bike Trains. And at a larger scale, through our national Safe Routes to School work where we come together on Zoom calls, our listserv, webinars, and at conferences and events to share with and learn from one another. Through this organizing, we can show up for each other as we navigate a new federal landscape. Through walking and bicycling, we connect people to places and to each other, and we will continue celebrating the joy in that even as we navigate the uncertainty together.