After a competitive application process, Safe Routes Partnership is pleased to announce that multi-agency teams from Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Hawaii are participating in the 2024 Safe Routes to Parks Accelerator! These states’ applications stood out for trying new approaches, delivering active transportation projects in their respective states, and a commitment to safety and equity.

The Safe Routes to Parks Accelerator is a technical assistance program designed to help teams of staff from states’ departments of transportation, health, and natural resources collaboratively improve safe, convenient, and equitable walking and biking routes to parks and open spaces. Over 12 months, Safe Routes Partnership will provide consulting services customized to support each state team. Some objectives that the teams will work on include:

• Maximize the opportunities of existing state funding and staff capacity to support park access and identify opportunities to expand those existing resources
• Strengthen the agency practices and policies that can transform roadway networks for safer and more convenient walking and biking
• Build lasting, productive working relationships between state agencies to support safe access to everyday destinations
• Develop the messaging that works best to frame safe routes to parks and other everyday destinations to agency leadership and local partners

This year’s Safe Routes to Parks Accelerator cohort is made up of dynamic cross-agency teams who are ready to advance active transportation, equity, and park access. Below is a sneak peek of each state team’s Safe Routes to Parks project.

Wisconsin: The Wisconsin team knows well the importance of setting up communities of all sizes for success in walking and biking. Building on its recent success of increasing Safe Routes to School funding in rural communities, Wisconsin is focused on continuing to improve its grant programs so that communities big and small can build a connected network that enhances park and trail access.

Oklahoma: With a long-standing track record for collaboration, Oklahoma state agencies are leveraging public health partnerships to promote active transportation funding and support communities to plan for safe routes to parks, schools, and other everyday destinations. Leading with their commitment to improving the health of Oklahomans, the team is collaborating to develop a technical assistance program that supports high-need communities to implement biking and walking projects.

Hawaii: With safety and equity top of mind, the Hawaii team is excited to support communities in implementing quick-build projects- short-term projects that improve safety for people walking and biking.  Using local and state plans to inform their project, the team is identifying and piloting a quick-build project that improves access to local parks and open spaces.

We are eager to get to explore these state-level strategies and refine tools and best practices for other states to apply in improving local park access. We will share updates and resources on our blog and e-news, so stay tuned!