In August, we sent a link to the Safe Routes to School community to ask questions about federal policy related to walking, bicycling, and Safe Routes to School and committed to answering them here on the blog. Do you have questions? Submit them here.
Questions are italicized. Answers are bulleted below.
“How does your analysis on Aug 10 jibe with DeFazio’s work?”
After a busy spring and summer working on legislation to reauthorize surface transportation spending, Congress is staring down a September 30th expiration date for current funding. Congress must reauthorize transportation spending or pass a short-term extension in order to maintain funding for transportation. Where things currently stand:
Bicycle Safer Journey helps educators, parents and others who care about bicycle safety to get the conversation started with children and youth.
This promotional toolkit can be used to dissimenate the report, Investing in Health, Safety, and Mobility: A Report on State Funding for Walking, Bicycling, and Safe Routes to School - Promotional Toolkit.
Balance bikes are bikes that have no pedals, and children push themselves along the ground with their feet, figuring out how to find their balance. Balance Bikes are an innovative method of teaching kids how to ride a bike without relying on training wheels.
Community level strategies to promote physical activity have the potential to improve health and well-being. This report provides evidence and an analysis on the benefits of promoting active travel to school for children of all ages.
This toolkit includes communications resources, content and collateral that you can customize and share to get more schools, parents and students involved. We encourage you to use them in your outreach and campaigns.
This toolkit provides great step-by-step instructions on how to create and plan your own traffic playground.
BikeNWA believes that learning to ride a bike in a positive, safe and fun environment is key to becoming a happy and healthy life-long rider. Let’s Play BikesNWA is a free three-part guide to help parents to facilitate learning in a simple, fun and low-stress way.
On Sunday, August 1, 2021, a bipartisan group of Senators released the final bill text for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This bill reauthorizes transportation funding through 2026 and incorporates priorities originally identified in President Biden’s American Jobs Act. It is currently being debated and amended on the Senate floor. We will continue to update this post as developments occur.
Two key points:
Below are videos to help coordinators, parents and educators teach the skills necessary for everyone to be safe and confident road users.
Watch videos below to learn how students and organizations are using events and programs to encourage sustainable transportation and improve their commute.
English and Spanish Walking School Bus materials and promotional videos. IL
Each of these Active Transportation Bingo cards focuses on a specific theme and you can use them to prompt different discussions about walking or cycling.
Learn to ride is a class/method/program to teach someone how to ride a bike for the first time.
Gather scissors, glue sticks, and paper and supplement with your own crafting supplies and recyclables to enhance creations!
CounterPoint is a transportation planning and measurement tool designed in 2013, to make traffic counting global, fun, easy, and inclusive for all ages and disciplines.
Kohl’s and Healthier Generation are helping families prioritize healthy living and create home environments where everyone can thrive.
A Community Bike Swap is a way to
refurbish and redistribute community bikes. It
engages participants to find bikes that fit them or their children better and is
a low to no-cost way to encourage bicycle ridership when paired with other
education or promotional events/rides or otherwise.