Submitted on Fri, 07/12/2013 - 10:35 by Dave Cowan

Dave CowanSafe Routes to School practitioners are challenged by the need to work with various partners at city, county, regional, state, district and school-related organizations. Inevitably, the success of programs, projects, policies and future funding opportunities are reliant upon the strength of these relationships. At the same time, it is difficult for any one individual to understand the intricacies of navigating every one of these organizations, the opportunities that exist within each of them to advance walking and bicycling, and the best way to go about seeking that change.

In order to address this issue, we have presented a series of webinars and written accompanying action briefs that support Safe Routes to School practitioners in connecting with important partners and decision makers at all levels. The series of six webinars and action briefs aims to educate practitioners on the role of school districts, principals, mayors, governors and state leaders, metropolitan planning organizations, student transportation departments and municipal transportation departments – a long list indeed. Peruse our webinar recordings  to hear from communities that have had successful Safe Routes to School work championed by these different government organizations, and take a moment to read through some of the extensive action briefs, informed by on the ground successes, that give perspective to both the Safe Routes to School practitioner on working with the identified partner organization and to the identified partner organization on the benefits of Safe Routes to School and the multitude of approaches that are available.

These resources are available in our website resource section here, but can be accessed directly through the links provided below. 

Maximizing City Involvement in Safe Routes to School: Educating Municipal Transportation Departments

Maximizing District-Wide Impact of Safe Routes to School: Educating  Principals and School Boards 

Maximizing District-Wide Impact of Safe Routes to School: Educating School District Transportation Departments

Maximizing the Local Impact of Safe Routes to School: Educating Local Elected Officials 

Maximizing Statewide Impact of Safe Routes to School: Educating Governors and State Agency Leaders 

New Funding, New Partners, New Game 201: How to Build Safe Routes to School into Regional Governments 

New Funding, New Players, New Game 101: Why Build Safe Routes to School into Regional Governments 

  • Watch an audio-visual recording here.
  • View Powerpoint slides: Erika Young's slides; Joe Fish's slides; Stephanie Weber's slides

Local Practice and Policy, a blog written by Dave Cowan, covers many of the multifaceted aspects of his work here at the Safe Routes Partnership. Focusing on best practices, voices from the field and reflections on the Safe Routes to School movement as a whole, this blog attempts to share a sliver of the good vibes, happy stories, and great people Dave has the pleasure of working with to further Safe Routes to School on a daily basis. 

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Local Practice & Policy