Bittersweet results for TBC as State awards local school SR2S Grants, rejects TBC Statewide Proposal.
Nearly ten years of key TBC involvement in the effort to bring federal transportation dollars to Texas and other state departments of transportation (DOTs) for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program resulted in both success and disappointment for TBC last month.
The Texas Transportation Commission (TCC) approved 245 local Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grant applications from across the state for a total of nearly 25 million dollars on September 27. A Texas Bicycle Coalition Education Fund (TBCEF) grant application to expand the three-year-old BikeTexas Safe Routes to School pilot program to a statewide level was not selected for funding by the Commission.
"We are very pleased that significant funding for Safe Routes to School has finally become available for Texas communities." said Executive Director Robin Stallings. "We are proud to have been very involved in efforts since 1998 to establish the framework and funding for Safe Routes to School nationwide. We are, of course, extremely disappointed that the TCC declined to fund our application to implement a statewide program in Texas."
Decline in Bicycling and Walking = Obesity Epidemic
Washington, D.C. – August 29, 2007 – According to a report released today by the Thunderhead Alliance, the dust settling on Americans’ parked bikes is likely linked to our expanding waist lines. Bicycling and Walking in the U.S., Thunderhead’s first biennial Benchmarking Report, shows that bicycling and walking have been in decline in the U.S. since the 1960s.
At the same time there has been a surge in adults and children who are obese. The report compares, for the first time ever, bicycling and walking levels, investment in bicycling and walking, and public health. The most striking findings reveal major disparities between cycling and walking levels, traffic fatalities, and federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects.
According to Thunderhead’s Executive Director, Sue Knaup, “Most public health advocates already preach the benefits of biking and walking. This report clearly demonstrates that cities and states with the highest rates of cycling and walking almost always have the lowest levels of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.”
Launches New Web Site to Promote Walking and Bicycling
Boulder, CO - As children across the country prepare for the start of school, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership is taking steps to make their trip to school a healthier activity.
Today, the Partnership launched a new web site, www.saferoutespartnership.org, to help parents, schools, local and state governments, and advocacy groups implement programs that will encourage more kids to walk and bike to and from school.
The $612 million federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, which was approved by the U.S. Congress in 2005, provides funding to all 50 states and the District of Columbia to support education and enforcement programs and to help communities improve infrastructure such as building sidewalks and bike paths.
Texas Bicycle Coalition Education was just awarded a competitive three year Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) sub-grant for a total of $36,000. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (SRTSNP) won a major award directly from RWJF and has selected organizations on a competitive basis to support “network organizers” in the ten states to advance Safe Routes to School at a state and local level. The SRTSNP receives generous and solid support from Bikes Belong.
The competitive grant program is targeting ten states that have high childhood obesity, minority populations and low income families. Texas ranked very high on that list, underscoring the urgency of Safe Routes to School efforts here. Fernando Martinez, a BikeTexas Safe Routes to School Local Outreach Coordinator in Amarillo will add “State Network Organizer” to his responsibilities. Congratulations Fernando!
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
State Network Meeting
This year’s State Network Meeting was hosted in Denver Colorado by the Safe Routes to School Partnership on May 16-18. Safe Routes to School National Partnership is implementing the State Network Project to leverage resources by creating Safe Routes to School state networks in nine key states and the District of Columbia. State Coordinators worked very hard to get the best and most from this meeting and by the end, everybody looked tired but happy. Everyone in attendance was interested in the health and safety of children.
Bike Texas Safe Routes to School Local Outreach Coordinator Fernando Martinez had the opportunity to work very closely with the new partnership and other coordinators from other states including Tonna Marcyes, Safe Routes to School State Coordinator from Texas Department of Transportation.
The project will link existing leaders associated with health, bicycle, pedestrian, youth, education, disadvantage communities, and smart growth organizations to help the Safe Routes to School federal program succeed and to identify viable projects for funding. The State Network Project will also work to leverage additional resources for Safe Routes to School and remove barriers to walking and bicycling to schools in the projects 9 key states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and District of Columbia.
TBC
