Ever wondered how effective Safe Routes to School programs are at increasing walking and bicycling to school? A new multi-state study gives a resounding answer to that question.

The Safe Routes to School Mississippi network prides itself on the ability to connect with those organizations within the state that are passionate about ridding the state of the childhood obesity epidemic.

Next week, the City of Long Beach will host Pro Walk Pro Bike, a multiday conference that will bring together advocates from across the country.

The Safe Routes Partnership's state network project is working to get more Complete Streets policies and improve current ones. As we do this, we learned about several jurisdictions in Florida that have taken their own initiative and are doing just that. We will continue to work hard to make sure this trend continues in our network states!

One of the things I’m most excited about in my position as Bay Area policy manager is how perfectly the work fits my interest in public health. As someone who spent almost a decade working in public health policy, the shift to transportation-related policy such as working on Complete Streets was indeed a change. But in another way it wasn’t a change at all.

This fall marks 20 years since I moved to California. I was born in Manhattan and grew up there and in New Jersey – learning important lessons about taking initiative and being direct - but I always had an eye toward the west and a fascination with the innovative ideas and policies that often originate in California and then go nationwide. 

The state network project’s advocacy organizers have been hard at work with one of the project’s most critical tasks – preparing action plans. Each of the seven network states has prepared its own action plan that is being presented to their respective networks for comment and adoption.