Two days after the City of Portland’s voters passed a 10¢ gas tax to fund street safety improvements including $8 million for needed crosswalks and sidewalks around Portland schools, the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, Metro, voted to also make a large, dedicated investment in Safe Routes to School for our region’s youth.
The For Every Kid Coalition, of which we are a founding member, represents 89 coalition partners, 9 school districts, 5 cities, and thousands of parents, youth, and residents of all ages, spanning all three counties in the Portland Metro region. Due to the tenacious work of this coalition over the past two years, targeting dedicated funding for Safe Routes to School investments in the region, Oregon Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) voted to allocate a dedicated investment in Safe Routes to School.
The final vote dedicated $500,000 per year for Safe Routes to School programming, plus at least $2 million for street improvements near Title 1 (low-income) schools, and trails. The vote also preserved $25.76 million for walking and biking street safety projects across the region.
About the For Every Kid Coalition
The For Every Kid Coalition formed in 2014 to focus on gaining dedicated funding for Safe Routes to School programming and street safety projects. The following organizations are members of the coalition: Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO); Safe Routes Partnership; American Heart Association; Oregon Walks; OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon (OPAL); Coalition For A Livable Future; Community Cycling Center, the Community Alliance of Tenants, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), and many more.
